


Idomu

by erinmacha



Category: DBZ - Fandom, Dragon Ball
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Slavery, Character Death, Father/Son Incest, M/M, Male Slash, Mating Bites, Mating Bond, Non-Consensual Bondage, Rape/Non-con Elements, Uncle/Nephew Incest, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-15
Updated: 2014-09-15
Packaged: 2018-02-17 11:17:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 17
Words: 131,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2307686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/erinmacha/pseuds/erinmacha
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fates and Destiny.  If you had the chance, even if it were just once, would you challenge both?  Or be complacent with the lot you’d been given in life?  </p><p>Gohan gets to find out which he would chose when he suddenly finds himself in an alternative universe when/where Vegeta-sei was never destroyed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

A/N: THANKS FOR STICKING WITH ME HOSHI! (How I wrangled her into beta'ing this, I don't know) This was my second attempt for the Fire & Ice contest for December 2006. I failed (word count) miserably with this one. (Hangs head) Which means you have Vegeta-sei, ice, and fire...for the first chapter, which, until it grew out of control, was supposed to be an entry for before said contest.

Prologue wasn't written until after chapter 13. (Go figure, *shrugs*)

Oh, and other than the prologue, the chapters are exceedingly _long_.

 

##  _Idomu_

### By [Macha ](mailto:bynp@comcast.net)

### Prologue

 

Pan sat in her chair with her seat belt on, arms crossed, sour look on her face. Earth was just coming into view on the monitor, and it would only be a matter of minutes before the three of them were back on the blue planet they called home.

Goku shook his head, turning his attention away from his pouting granddaughter, "I am going to go and take a shower," he told Trunks.

Trunks looked up from the controls long enough to nod at the older man. He turned them back down to the readings and blinking lights as Goku undid his seat belt, but couldn't help but look back up to watch as the man walked away.

Pan waited until her grandpa was out of the main room of the ship before she spoke, "You're a sick man, Trunks," this trip had been full of disappointments. First, the trip to New Namek had been _boring_. The preteen wished they _had_ traipsed all over the universe in search of the black star dragon balls: that at least would have been an _adventure_!

Instead, the plan had been for Goten, Trunks, and her child-like-at-the-time grandfather to go to New Namek, wish the black star dragon balls to Earth and her grandfather back to the age he was _supposed_ to be. She told Trunks and her grandfather it was an accident that she happened to press those buttons that led to a premature take off.

 _"What if Goku hadn't been on the ship at the time?"_ Trunks had pointed out.

Pan had shrugged: they could have wished Goku back to his proper age from anywhere, and if he hadn't been along, Trunks' attention wouldn't have been divided. She liked her grandpa better as a kid anyway: Trunks hadn't stared at his ass when Goku was child-like.

Which was another disenchantment this trip had thrown her way. She _had_ wanted to go on this trip, thinking she might be able to make Trunks finally notice her, only to learn her crush was TOTALLY into guys. _Very_ disappointing.

They hadn't been absolutely certain the Namekian dragon could make the first wish happen. Something about how Porunga could only raise one person back from the dead at a time. Guru had explained, in his slow fashion, that since the black star dragon balls were still on the physical plane, the dragon would not have a problem with getting them all in one location with one wish, however, something about the rules made it so they couldn't be wished directly to the planet of their creation.

Which is why Trunks and Goku were insistent they return to Earth as quickly as possible: they now carried those dragon balls back with them.

Goku had been wished back to his proper age...physical age...whatever. Not that it mattered to Pan, but her grandmother would be much happier.

Her grandpa and Trunks had even disappointed her in the fact they had let the Nameks use the third wish.

Her grandpa stepped out from the back cabin, hair still wet, but wearing dry, clean clothes, "Another couple of minutes, Goku. You may want to strap in," Trunks informed him.

Pan sighed as her grandpa did as suggested, barely listening to the conversation between the two of them, "I didn't know that about the dragon balls," Goku pondered.

"Yeah, it's a good thing we went to Namek, I guess. I don't think Dende knew about it either," Trunks agreed, flipping switches and turning dials, "Atmosphere in 30 seconds," he warned everyone.

Pan rolled her eyes, but braced her arms against those of the chair. A few moments of shaking, rattling, heat and light, and they were through.

"Trunks to Capsule Corporation. Anyone waiting for us?" Trunks asked.

"You bet!" Goten's voice came over speakers.

"Is the landing clear?" Trunks asked, frowning a bit as he made adjustments for wind speed.

"Yeah," Goten's voice acknowledged, "Hold on."

Goku and Trunks both looked at each other, and then Gohan's voice came over the speakers, "Do you have Pan with you?"

"Yes sir," Trunks acknowledged.

"Tell her she is grounded when the ship lands," Gohan informed them.

Pan snorted, she could hear her father loud and clear: she didn't need a go-between. Grounded...whatever: they'd just see how well would work.

~o0o~~o0o~

  
  



	2. Chapter 1

A/N: THANKS FOR STICKING WITH ME HOSHI!

 

##  _Idomu_

### By [Macha ](mailto:bynp@comcast.net)

### Chapter 1

 

He wasn't certain what had happened.

One moment Gohan had been laughing at one of Bulma's barbeques. Laughter turned to silence as the sky grew unnaturally dark, "Who's making..."

And then Gohan found himself here... rubbing at a sharp pain in the back of his neck and staring at an armor clad chest, way too closely. "I asked what you thought you were doing, slave?!" The demi was totally unprepared for the backhand that landed across his cheek and knocked his glasses off.

"Slave?" Gohan asked as he stood back up, only to be backhanded harder. That shouldn't have hurt, let alone knocked him to the ground!

"I think you finally knocked the sense out of one of them, Mandaraku." Someone Gohan couldn't see addressed the person who was beating on him.

"Gah," the guard now known as Mandaraku spit in Gohan's direction, "Not a big loss. If he can't get bought for that pretty face, then he'll be working in the mines any way. Don't need much in the way of brains to lift a hammer."

Gohan gasped as his hair was used to haul him to his feet. Mines? What if what were happening to him was also happening to his wife and child? Would they be sent to the mines? "Well, what were you doing?"

"I-I think I am lost," Gohan said. It was the best he could come up with as his frantic mind searched for familiar faces. Where was everyone? What had happened to his wife?

The guards laughed at him again, and a boot was planted into his backside. "The direction to the slave pens is that way!" he was told as he stumbled forward. He growled, having been pushed beyond his limits, and started to power up....

...only his ki wasn't there! What had happened to him?! "Stop stalling! Get your ass back there, or we'll whip ya!" This had to be a bad dream!

"HOLD!" The merriment came to a sudden stop. Gohan was eternally grateful to whom ever it was that had stopped this madness: until he turned around and recognized his uncle. 'Make that a nightmare,' he thought to himself.

"What can we do for you, Commander?" one of the guards asked, taking in Radditz's rank markings.

Gohan reprimanded himself for shrinking back as his larger than life uncle came towards him. He had always thought his young mind had been overactive in perspective to how big his uncle was...now he knew better.

His jaw was suddenly held in place by a vice-like grip, forcibly turned upward. "Very pretty. Do you have a record as to why his tail was cut off?"

'Pretty?' Gohan thought to himself, but the rough hand on his jaw kept him from saying anything.

The guards mumbled amongst themselves for a moment, "It doesn't seem so, sir."

Radditz peered down at the small one, "I'd ask you, but slaves aren't known for their honesty. I guess it doesn't matter. If I find out later, and don't like it, I can always sell you back." Gohan stayed a frown and a growl at the comment.

Several of the guards' eyes lit with glee, "So, it is business you are seeking, Commander?"

"Yes. Seems solstice is here, and I have yet to get the prince a gift," Radditz remarked, "How much?" he asked, looking at the most talkative of the group.

Mandaraku looked at his buddies, but only received shrugs back in return. "2000 measures," he seemed a little unsure of himself.

"Do you have a family history on this one?" Radditz asked suspiciously. A sayian slave _on_ Vegeta-sei wasn't usual.

"No sir," one of the quieter guards spoke up.

"Hmmm, make it 1500, and you have a deal," Radditz said, appraising his prize.

"Done!" Mandaraku responded and handed over his scouter for Radditz to complete the transaction.

Radditz let go of Gohan's jaw in order to transfer the necessary data, "Wait a minute..." Gohan started, but was punched in the gut for his audacity.

"You'll speak when I ask you questions," Radditz said to his lowered head before he handed the scouter back to the man in charge.

Gohan barely heard him as he tried to gain his breath back. A moment later, and he was thrown off balance as a forceful hand grabbed the back of his shirt, and hauled him up, "Bind his hands and tether him, I don't want to lose him in the crowd," Radditz ordered.

Gohan felt cold metal wrap around his wrists, and jerked them away too slowly. The distraction caused enough time for one of the guards to get a collar around his neck, and the leash was handed over to the now smirking Radditz, "Come along slave. You'll need to be cleaned up in order to be presentable." Gohan stumbled forward as the chain leash was jerked hard.

When he finally gained his pace, he found he had time to take in his surroundings. It wasn't until then that he noticed the sky was red, "Vegeta-sei?" Well at least he understood why he felt as though he were walking through quicksand; Vegeta had mentioned the planet had ten times Earth's gravity. Would his wife be able to handle the difference? Pan would probably fair better than her mother...

Radditz grunted over his shoulder, "I hope you're not too brain damaged."

"No, Rad...sir," Gohan kicked himself mentally for his slip up as his uncle turned to look at him; maybe he _was_ brain damaged. That was it! That's what the darkness he remembered had been! Not the dragon. He had been hit over the head and Videl would wake him up at any mome....

"What were you going to call me?" the overbearing sayian asked.

"Radditz," Gohan squeaked out. The prospect of making this man angry with him when he didn't have his ki: Gohan gulped.

"And how would a little slave know my name?" the tall warrior asked in suspicion.

"It was just a guess, sir...there aren't many people in the prince's service that have as much hair as you do!" Gohan laughed, trying to cover up his unease.

"So the Bitches at the brothels have given me a reputation have they?" Radditz asked. He seemed more than pleased with his conclusion, not needing an answer from Gohan before he proceeded down the crowded streets.

Gohan let out a relived sigh at the close call, only to have it cut off as he was jerked forward again. Although the situation felt surreal, there were things that shouldn't be happening if this were a true dream, like, the collar chaffing his neck. So had it been the dragon? Who had made a wish, and for what?

The many sights and sounds started blurring together, and Gohan wished dearly he had something to record his sightings on. Even in the midst of peril he was able to appreciate the unique situation he was in. There was so much to look at! Before he would have wished, his uncle was knocking at a locked door built into a thick wall. There was a coded knock back, which Radditz responded to, before it opened up. "Good to see you back, Commander," someone spoke from an ill lit hallway.

"Hn," was Radditz's response before Gohan felt himself being drawn forward again. He was led through a maze of halls and doorways before Radditz finally stopped in front of one door in particular, "Rose!"

Gohan looked up and down the hallway, trying to remember the way back. He turned to look as bolts in the door were unlocked, and a person stuck their head out. He gaped at the woman...it was the first time he'd seen a female sayian. She towered over him by at least a head.

"Yes, Commander?" Rose asked.

"I have a slave I need cleaned up for tonight's festivities," Radditz said as he jerked Gohan's leash forward.

Gohan watched as the woman being addressed gave him a once over, "Anything special?"

"He's to be gifted to the prince," Radditz commented, "Presented after the pomp and circumstance, but I need him ready before."

Rose pursed her lips together, her hands coming to her hips, "Well, I'll see what I can do. This isn't much time."

Radditz grinned at the woman and passed her a pouch that had been hooked at his belt. Rose hefted it in her hand and smiled, "Understood!"

Gohan's leash was passed from Radditz to Rose. He followed the Amazon into the room and the humidity made him cough. Rose jerked on his chain to get his attention, "Now see here. It is going to be a lot easier if I don't have to worry about you running off," she said, holding up Gohan's leash, "Do I have your word on it?"

"I've been told slaves aren't all that honest to begin with," Gohan started; gods, he felt like a child in her presence.

Rose shook her head, "Well, that's them. This is me. I am going to do you the best favor anyone will probably do you in a while. Do I have your word on it?"

Gohan hung his head. At the moment, it seemed he didn't even have enough strength to defend himself from this person, "Yes," and he still hadn't decided if this was a dream or real. You didn't choke on things like steam in dreams, but you also didn't have your dead uncle purchase you as a slave in real life!

Rose smiled, and unlatched the collar from his neck. Then she untied his hands, "Now, I can shower you, or you can shower yourself..." she started.

"Oh! Um...I'll clean myself up!" Gohan didn't know what was going on, but if Videl ever found out he had let this woman shower him, there'd be hell to pay.

Rose seemed disappointed, but nodded, "Okay then. The showers are over there," Gohan looked in the way she had pointed, "Don't take too long, I have my work cut out making you presentable for the prince."

"What?!" Gohan asked. He only knew of one prince....

Rose just patted his cheek before turning him in the direction of the showers, and giving him a shove, "Probably better than he ever hoped for," she mumbled to herself, mistaking his excitement for the good kind. "Don't have enough time to even give him any decent piercings!"

Her mumbled last statement went unnoticed as Gohan started the water for the shower and looked around for soap...or something. He found several bottles, which he opened and sniffed individually before picking one that _didn't_ smell like flowers.

He lathered up his hands and started at his head and scrubbed down to his toes. He rinsed the soap from his face, and was prepared to relax under the spigot when he spotted Rose watching him, "Come on now...we don't have all day."

Gohan grimaced and turned the water off. He grabbed the towel the woman held out to him, and dried off with it. He started tying it around his waist only to notice the curious glance the woman was giving him, "What?"

"If I am going to make you presentable, you can't be wearing that!" Rose instructed.

"Oh," Gohan said, and let the towel drop.

Rose shook her head, but beckoned him to follow her to another room. The clippers, razors, oils and other _oddities_ he saw did _not_ encourage him at all. 'Can things get any worse?'

~o0o~

Vegeta sighed and leaned his head back onto his chair. The last of his guests were just leaving.

"Long night your Highness?" Radditz asked from where he stood at the prince's side.

"You could say that," Prince Vegeta smirked.

"I hope it wasn't too long," Radditz began.

"Why would you say that?" Vegeta asked. The Commander had been there the whole night; he knew how long it was for himself.

"I have a gift for you, my Prince," Radditz said with some confidence.

"Do you now?" Vegeta asked with curiosity. His Commander's gifts were usually at least mildly distracting: the best so far having been introduced to his younger brother.

"Hn...but I have to go and get it," Radditz informed his superior.

Vegeta nodded, closing his eyes, "While you're at it, will you please inform Kakarott his services would be appreciated?" he derived a perverse pleasure in having one brother know what the other was going to be doing for the evening.

Radditz frowned, but Vegeta did not notice, "Yes, your Highness."

"You can have him deliver the gift to me," Vegeta smirked, pleased with the thought of the night being over and having some time to indulge himself.

"Yes, your Highness."

Vegeta listened to his Commander's footsteps as he left the hall. He relaxed slightly when the door was closed, giving himself a moment of peace. He was exceedingly grateful his father had not minded having separate celebrations this year. It cut down on the tensions between rival families, but that meant he still had to deal with half the 'who's who'.

Firelight from the solstice fire in the pit below flickered over his eyelids, as did the light from so many torches around the high vaulted hall. Admittedly, it made the place smoky, but tomorrow, electricity would be allowed once again, and the ventilators would kick in.

"COME!" he barked as there was a knock at the door, and he lifted his head to watch his current favorite concubine enter. One of his eyebrows rose as Kakarott led another person into the room.

"I am to inform your Highness, that this," Kakarott took great pleasure in jerking the slave's leash, "Is your gift from Commander Radditz."

Gohan stumbled forward from his dad's shadow. He had gotten smacked twice as he tried to ask his father what was happening, and if he knew where Videl and Pan were. The man looked at him as though he had lost his mind, _"Slaves don't have wives,"_ was the only information his father had graced him with.

Vegeta stood and started walking down the stairs from the high table. Kakarott jerked the leash until his hand touched the white and gray marble flooring; Gohan's knees hit the floor and his head followed quickly after, "You will be courteous in his Highness's presence," Gohan heard his father whisper harshly.

Gohan's stomach churned...things _were_ getting worse. He was naked, in front of his father, who was dressed in a bizarre imitation of a fusion's outfit...and he had a growing suspicion about what it meant to be the prince's 'slave'. Being dragged naked down torch lit hallways didn't leave many options to one's imagination.

Gohan heard a snap of fingers, and then his head was being directed up. He wasn't certain how to react under this Vegeta's scrutiny. He had come to admire the man he knew on Earth, and admittedly had more than a crush on him when he was a young teen (his mother and Bulma called it hero worship, and Gohan never bothered to correct them)...but his head jerked back as a gloved hand moved to touch his cheek. He couldn't help the hiss, or the hurt glance he gave his father has his hair was used to jerk his head back into reach. "Now, now, Kakarott...no need to be so abusive," Vegeta said, running gloved fingers over Gohan's cheek.

Gohan heard his father's faint growl at the reprimand, and then a sharp slap echoed through the hall. Gohan moved his eyes to his father's countenance, and saw a red welt, but the man looked straightforward. He turned his attention back to the prince. He couldn't be certain, but it seemed Vegeta was taller than what he remembered...or it could be he was kneeling on the floor, and had never seen the older sayian from this angle.

"I see, you think Radditz picked a good one, but he is only a slave, after all," Vegeta said as he slowly started walking behind Gohan, trailing fingers over his shoulders until the lingering contact was lost. "I think I have to agree with you, your brother knows my appetites very well for a person I've never been involved with."

Gohan heard his father's sharp exhale of breath, but there was no other reaction from his...Kakarott. Something finally clicked in his mind. This was not his father! This was a sayian raised on Vegeta-sei, and he would probably find very little (if any) mercy or help from this man.

Gohan finally caught sight of Vegeta again, on the opposite side of Kakarott, and was able to answer his earlier question about the prince's height; he was taller, virtually the same height as this Kakarott. He shuddered as the prince ran a gloved hand indulgently between the split material of the vest Kakarott was wearing. He turned his head away as Vegeta initiated a kiss. This might not be his dad, or the Vegeta he knew, but this was made even more distressing by the fact it _was_ the images of the two most important men in his life: kissing! His eyes were diverted, and he seriously considered covering his ears with his hands as pleased moans he heard from Kakarott disturbed him even further.

"Would it please you," Kakarott leaned his ear closer to his prince's warm mouth, "If I let you prep him?"

Kakarott's eyes narrowed at Vegeta suggestion, even as he growled his pleasure at the idea of having this young slave at his mercy, "Oh, yes."

Gohan wasn't certain if that was supposed to have been a private topic, but he had heard it all the same. 'Prep?' he started to struggle against the leash, placing his hands on the floor and pushing away only to have Kakarott pull it closer to his side. It took alarmingly little effort on the sayian's part to throw Gohan off balance, and he finally settled with his head pressed against the outside of Kakarott's leg.

Vegeta smirked, briefly touching his lips to that of his concubine's before turning away, and finding a chair to sit in. He turned it to face the others in the room, and then took off his cloak, hanging it off of the high-backed chair, before getting comfortable.

'This is a wet dream gone to chaos,' Gohan's frantic mind ranted over and over, 'I'll wake from this insanity at any moment,' but it didn't happen; the perverse fantasy continued to persist!

Kakarott grinned as he reached for some ice left over from one of the dessert trays on a lower table. He knelt down behind the slave and ran the cold cubes over the slave's genitals, relishing in the hissed shock the slave emitted. He jerked on the leash until the slave's ear was next to his mouth, and then he ran his tongue over the shell of the young man's ear. He stopped as he heard his prince clear his throat and looked up to see a finger wagging in the negative. He growled, but stopped his mouth, and took vicious pleasure in continuing to massage ice over the other.

"S-stop!" Gohan said; he couldn't take any more. Why wasn't he waking up when situations in his dreams became emotionally uncomfortable like he usually did? What purpose or meaning was his subconscious possibly trying to convey?

Kakarott pulled back on the leash, intentionally choking the slave, "What was that?"

Gohan's hands dropped back to brace against Kakarott's thighs. He really didn't want to take a seat in his father's lap right now. "Please stop...its numb," Gohan whispered hoarsely; he could feel the blood pressure building under his skin. Warm tears fell from the corners of his eyes.

"Don't tell me what to do, you fuck," Kakarott whispered quietly in his ear, trying to hide his temper from the prince, "You'd be best advised to keep that worthless mouth of yours shut," Gohan whimpered as ice water ran down the insides of his thighs, and pooled at his knees, "You understand me?" Kakarott asked him and Gohan nodded.

Kakarott tossed the remaining ice to the marble floor and reached into his pocket for one of things his brother had pressed into his hands before turning the slave over to him. He let the leash drop to the floor, but put a knee on it before the delusional slave could think about getting up to run off. 'Wives...what will it come up with next?' Kakarott took a moment to untwist the knot the thing had become in his pocket, before twining it around the slave's shriveled cock.

Gohan shied away from his fathe...Kakarott's hands. His reactions had been bad enough when the man had been placing ice on him...now the man was fondling him. He gasped, eyes rolling back in pleasure before he shook himself. What if something like this was happening to Videl? "Can't be that numb, little slave. You're growing hard in my hand," Kakarott whispered to him, and Gohan whined.

Vegeta shifted in his chair as he watched his concubine with the slave. The solstice fire was covering them in constantly moving light and shadow. It left some of what was happening up to his imagination. This evening was turning out more interesting than what it had promised. He smirked at the device he saw being wound around the slave's dick, and wondered if Kakarott had it before or after he knew there would be company tonight. If it was before, Kakarott was in a nasty mood. If it was after...Vegeta shivered: maybe turning the slave over to Kakarott's control hadn't been the most kind of ideas.

"You're going to stay here," Kakarott whispered into Gohan's ear, "If you make a move to run away, Vegeta will put a ki blast through your heart, and then make me fuck your corpse."

Gohan whimpered and nodded, shocked to hear something even repeated from a voice so like his father's. He slumped forward slightly as the leash was released. He would do what was necessary in order to find a way to his wife. In this case, that meant live. He heard Kakarott get up from behind him, and move away briefly before coming back.

Vegeta shifted in his chair again as he watched his concubine break a melting arm off of one of the ice statues, and grab a dish of oil spread from the table. There was no doubt what Kakarott intended, and he anticipated seeing how adversely the slave would react.

Gohan shuddered as he felt Kakarott's firm hand on his ass. He gasped and bucked away as the touch became more intimate.

Kakarott jerked the slave's leash back to the floor as he made a move away from him. The little fuck really didn't understand his place. He smiled as he slipped slicked fingers inside the slave, his own cock twitching at the pathetic, needy sounds given at the intrusion.

Vegeta cleared his throat to get Kakarott's attention, and then made a circling motion with one finger. Kakarott nodded, and pressed a thigh up against the slave's hip, "Move that way," he instructed under his breath.

Gohan whimpered as he moved, the other's fingers still buried in his ass. He cried out as they started to stretch him, and his stomach churned. This...this was supposed to be immoral. Why did it feel so good? "You're lucky you are even getting this much attention. If it weren't so entertaining for his Highness watching me deal with you, you'd have probably been fucked raw," Kakarott's statement removed all optimistic doubts as to what was coming in Gohan's mind.

Vegeta shifted again, his perverse smirk becoming an intent stare as he watched his concubine continue to stretch and slick the slave. He muffled a groan as Kakarott reached over and grabbed the broken limb of the ice sculpture, and slid it in slowly.

Gohan cried out and jerked away from the cold assault, but he didn't get far. Kakarott had a knowing hold on his leash. The concubine twisted the ice limb as he pressed it into the slave, and then pulled it back out.

Gohan called out as circulation to his cock began to return to normal. It felt like fiery pin pricks. He thrashed against his collar as Kakarott shoved what ever that cold thing was up his ass again.

Kakarott didn't realize how much he was enjoying watching the slave squirm until he almost growled as the prince cleared his throat to gain his attention. Yet another thing to be annoyed at the salve for; the little bastard was making him lose his focus as to what his own station in life was. Kakarott had to remember he really had no power over the slave while in the prince's presence except for what Vegeta himself deemed was appropriate.

Vegeta stood and walked over to the pair kneeling on the floor. He took a moment to caress Kakarott's face before he held his hand out for the chain. He ran his fingers through his concubine's hair, and leaned down to kiss him before turning his focus to the slave. "Take the ice out of him...I don't want it to be too cold when I fuck him," Vegeta said crassly as he raised the slave's leash so the other was looking at him.

"So, my gift, do you have a name?" Vegeta asked. He smirked as the slave gasped and bucked as the ice was removed from him. There was a steady hiss as Kakarott threw what remained of it into the solstice fire.

"Gohan," Gohan replied meekly.

"Gohan? Do you know who I am?" Vegeta asked him. He ran gloved fingers gently over the slave's face. Something about the way the question was asked made Gohan nervous to answer. Did he play stupid? "Look at me! Do you know who I am?"

"Yes!"

"Then why would you not address me as my station?" Vegeta asked him, slight anger tinting his voice.

"Your Highness!" Gohan finally caught on. That was a bit to wrap his mind around, but he knew he'd better adjust to it quickly.

"And you will always address me as such unless I tell you otherwise," Vegeta pursed his lips, "I think it's a lesson you'll need to remember though," Gohan certainly gained no comfort from the smile cast down on him, "Kakarott?"

"Yes, your Highness?" Kakarott asked his liege.

"Will you go get a torch," Vegeta requested.

Kakarott stood, and looked around, walking over to the nearest torch, and bringing it back. He held it out for his prince to take, but Vegeta shook his head, "No, I think I'll enjoy watching you do this."

"What is it my Prince would like to happen?" Kakarott asked, not certain what the other had in mind.

Vegeta grinned, "Use that," he said, pointing at the oil spread, "And trace a design down his spine. Anything you'd like," the prince granted as he held tighter to Gohan's chain.

Kakarott dipped his fingers in the soft yellow substance, and then traced a lightening bolt between Gohan's shoulder blades. He looked up for his prince's approval, and received a nod, "Now, light it on fire."

Gohan jerked sideways, trying to get from between the two maniacs...this was out of control! The collar brought him up short, and Vegeta's other hand in his hair held him still, "Please...don't do this!" He wasn't afraid of the pain; he'd had so much worse over the years, but the cruelty of this was just _wrong_!

"I see the lesson still hasn't been learned," Vegeta sneered down at him.

"Please, Your Highness!" Gohan begged, clutching Vegeta's thighs in his hands.

"Too late. Now, unless you want to be branded as well as burned, you will hold still," Vegeta stated coldly.

Gohan closed his eyes and tensed as he waited for his father to touch his skin with the torch. His cry was mostly filled with anger at his helplessness in this situation, rather than actual pain, as fired graced his skin briefly. 'Please, Kami, don't let this be happening to my family.' The fire flashed quickly using up the small amount of fuel that fed it, before going out.

"He needs another," Vegeta told his concubine. He used his knee to press the other back from his slouching position against his legs.

Kakarott grinned, and drew a spiral around the slave's tail scar. The look his prince gave him for doing so was delicious, and he set the mark to burning also, taking immense pleasure from the slave's helpless reactions.

Gohan jerked forward as his nerves were overwhelmed. Regular skin he could handle, but the fire placed there...he understood now, it _could_ get worse.

"You understand your place?" Vegeta asked his little, crying slave.

"Yes, your Highness," Gohan sniffled against Vegeta's thigh.

"Good. Then we need to think of something to call you for this evening," Vegeta grinned, "What do you think, Kakarott? What is a good name for our toy this evening?"

Kakarott inspected the oil spread on his fingers as he took a moment to think it over, "How about Scum, my Prince?"

Vegeta lifted Gohan's red-blotched face up to look him over, "Hmmmm, scum is good, and maybe, we'll call it that some other time. I think 'Slut' rolls so much easier off of the tongue though, don't you?"

Kakarott smirked, "Yes, your Highness."

Vegeta grinned, running a thumb through some of Gohan's weak tears, "You will be known as Slut then," he grinned down at the other.

Gohan shuddered and closed his eyes. He opened them again as a hand ran almost affectionately through his hair, "Now, Slut. I wish for you to pleasure me," Vegeta said as he drew his pants down his hips, exposing his ridged cock. Gohan looked at it, and then back up at Vegeta. He moved his hand tentatively up the prince's thigh, "No...not like that. With your mouth," Vegeta instructed, taking his erection in hand and pressing it against Gohan's lips.

Gohan shut his eyes, "I'd like to wake up now," he whispered to himself.

"What was that?" Vegeta asked him.

"I-I said, I'd like to wake up now, your Highness," Gohan whispered, shuddering as warm flesh was traced over his lips.

"But my dear, little Slut, you aren't asleep," Vegeta cooed down at him. He glanced up at Kakarott and gave him a nod.

Kakarott grinned, and dug his thumb into the center of the spiral he had drawn earlier. As the slave cried out in pain, Vegeta shoved the head of his erection into its mouth.

Gohan continued to scream as his mouth was filled, and then he jerked back as his gag reflexes kicked in. He couldn't get anything but involuntary reflexes to function while Kakarott continued to press his thumb into his tail scar. Vegeta held his slack body in place with a hand braced against the back of his head, groaning with delight at the vibrations the slave's muffled screams were sending through his dick. He hissed before he looked down, "I don't think he's ever done this before," he said in mild surprise as he pulled out and plunged back in.

Kakarott watched intently as Vegeta continued to fuck the slave's mouth. He licked his lips as he watched wishing he was the one sucking his prince off, but enjoying the slave's naïve reactions, "Maybe he hasn't, your Highness."

Vegeta hissed as he sank back in to that warm, resisting mouth, "How would that be possible?" he whispered curiously. "A slave, this old? He's had to of sucked cock before..."

"Maybe he...doesn't like it, your Highness?" Kakarott suggested tentatively, the idea foreign to a point the concubine had trouble contemplating it.

Vegeta growled as he plunged back in, and then held the other still, "Even a slave that doesn't care for it, learns to pretend as though it does," he growled before pulling all the way out and pressing Gohan to the side. "Come here, Kakarott," Vegeta beckoned with one finger, and Kakarott quickly took the slave's unwanted place.

Vegeta groaned as Kakarott's excellent mouth wrapped knowingly around his flesh. He ran his fingers through mussed spikes, only using the touch to keep his balance; there was no need to force his erection down his concubine's throat. The man took exceedingly great pleasure in sucking him off. Vegeta jerked the chain he still held, directing the slave's attention to the oral act being performed on him. He groaned and his knees buckled slightly; Kakarott took this to a high art form.

Kakarott went down on his prince with delight. He closed his eyes to the slave as it struggled to regain its breath, choosing to focus solely on bring his prince pleasure. He hummed in gratitude at Vegeta's sounds of appreciation: a reward for a job being well done. If the slut couldn't get this part correct, he had very little chance of staying alive long. The prince would tire of training him quickly and remove him like so much garbage.

Gohan tried to look away, the sensual feelings he gained watching them _together_ were shocking. Watching his virtual father suck Vegeta off...he tried to tell himself he was only watching because the prince would jerk the leash any time he attempted to turn away, but that could only account for his looking...it couldn't account for his continued ragged breathing, or the excitement stimulating other parts of his anatomy.

Or the groan that involuntarily escaped his throat, 'Videl, forgive me,' his eyes widened as he realized the noise had come from _him_. Too late to take it back, the prince was grinning down at him, "Changing your mind?"

"Highness?" Gohan squeaked back. Gohan mentally slapped himself; he was a grown man for Kami's sake!

"Mmmmmmm," Vegeta held Kakarott's head still and withdrew slowly from his concubine's worshiping mouth. He bent down and kissed his trusted lover with fervor before turning back to his slave, "Try it again, Slut."

Kakarott glared as the slave took his place, wiping his chin off as he watched. This second time was going easier: not so much fighting involved. He didn't know how he should feel about that; but jealousy was becoming an option.

Vegeta grinned knowingly at the growl he heard from beside him, "Yes, so much better this time. See? It's so good when you're not resisting it," he encouraged the slave as he pressed more of himself in. "Now, add some suction...aaah, ssss, goooood Slut."

Gohan had little trouble agreeing with the prince. It _was_ going much easier now that he wasn't resisting him so much...now if he could just stop resisting himself!

Kakarott leaned in, and placed his lips against the slave's ear, "Now, hum," he instructed quietly. Gohan shivered at the seductive breath of warm air against his ear. The words finally sunk in, and he nervously tried to do as he was coached. "No, not whine: hum," Kakarott whispered before closing his lips over the lobe of the slave's ear, and demonstrating the deep vibration he was wanting the slave to apply before adding a dark chuckle as the slave shivered in response.

Gohan squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to fend off the unexpected reaction he had to his father sucking on his ear as he sucked Vegeta off. If this had been a dream, maybe it would have made things easier, thinking this was something his subconscious had decided he needed to explore. But it wasn't a dream, as the prince had been so willing to inform him, so his reactions to these things that were happening were very real.

Vegeta grinned down at the two of them, "Giving your secrets away, Kakarott?"

Kakarott sucked gently at Gohan's ear as he pulled away. He ran his nose around the outside as he glanced sideways at his prince, "No, your Highness," he said, licking at Gohan's working jaw, "Just playing with the Slut, my Prince."

Vegeta smirked, and pressed a finger under Kakarott's chin, "Come up here and play," he requested. Kakarott kissed the inside of his gloved palm before standing to do as asked. He bit gently on Vegeta's lobe before humming deeply. He grinned and moved down to Vegeta's throat, twirling his tongue eagerly on the royal flesh, sucking at odd places for brief moments, before moving on. His hands came to rest hesitantly on the prince's hips, never knowing if it was something he would be encouraged to continue, or be punished for his impudence. It seemed this time it was to be the former. Kakarott ran his nose across the back of Vegeta's neck, scenting along the royal's fevered flesh, delighting in the vibrations that tickled his nose.

Gohan's jaw was sore, and his lips were chapping, but he continued to do what he had been told to; he could fight it, but in the end, these two would still get what they wanted out of him. He felt the pressure increase on his head, and looked up to see Kakarott's arm aligning with Vegeta's. He gagged as the prince's hips were pressed forward, but did not draw back.

"How dare you," Vegeta asked even as he leaned his head back against Kakarott's broad chest. He groaned as his concubine used his own hips to press his forward towards the slave's face.

Kakarott panted, knowing he was treading on a thin edge, and had possibly already crossed the invisible moving line that made up the prince's patience. "Just...excited, watching you," Kakarott groaned, "My Ouji," he shuddered as he rubbed up against Vegeta's still clothed backside.

Vegeta shivered at the use of the high tongue and underlying truth in his concubine's confession, "You should be punished," his statement held no conviction. His concubine's actions were making him crazy with need.

"Fuck him, and make me watch then, my Prince," Kakarott dared from between clenched teeth. The concubine groaned in disappointment as Vegeta shrugged his hands off of him, and was then forced to step back. The leash was pressed into his hands.

Gohan gasped thankfully as Vegeta withdrew from his mouth. He'd never take another blowjob his wife gave him for granted. He obediently dropped his head to the floor as Kakarott dropped the chain down, and stepped on it. Kakarott held his hands behind his back as Vegeta stepped behind the slave and knelt down.

"It should be you here before me," Vegeta glared at Kakarott as he pressed into Gohan. The slave struggled once, and Kakarott took the opportunity to kick him in the ribs.

"Yes, your Highness," he acknowledged in disappointment as he watched Vegeta slam himself mercilessly into the slave.

"Instead, your actions have caused me to use this tailless slave," Vegeta growled, glaring at the back of such an unworthy person.

Gohan called out as he was entered again. He voice was embarrassingly high, but he couldn't control the sounds escaping him, just as he had no control over anything that had been happening. His knees were sliding against the marble, and slowly spreading wider at the force the prince was using. He felt Vegeta lean over him, and then his head was being drawn back by the leash and collar as his back was bowed. His hands instinctively went to try and relive the pressure around his throat.

Kakarott was at a loss as to what to do with himself. He was achingly hard watching as the prince took his full measure out on the slave, but he knew better than to touch himself. He whined with need before he thought better of expressing himself.

Vegeta chuckled darkly before biting at the slave's shoulder, and watching his concubine struggle with himself. He reached up and pinched an exposed nipple, watching as one of Kakarott's hands slid behind his vest, mimicking his movements. The prince smirked, "Go grab some ice," he instructed.

Kakarott turned to do as he was told, returning as quickly as possible. He held the ice out for Vegeta to grab, but withdrew his hand as the prince shook his head.

Gohan gasped for breath as his leash was let go. He cried out in shock as one of the prince's hands wrapped around his cock and started stroking him expertly. He bucked up into the hand, gaining some measure of acknowledgeable enjoyment from what was happening to him. He whimpered as his body felt like it should be releasing at any moment, and nothing happened. Something was blocking him.

Kakarott hissed as he folded his fist with the ice around his erection and started stroking himself. He grinned wickedly as the slave's body tightened up, but nothing happened.

Vegeta stilled as he felt the slave's body lock up around him, enjoying the tight sensation, before picking up where he left off. He beckoned to his concubine with his tail, and Kakarott came and knelt in front of the slave. He quickly removed his hand and gasped as the prince's tail wound around his cock: furry, warm, velvet replacing his icy grip.

"You want me to continue that?" Vegeta asked archly.

"Yes, your Highness, Please," Kakarott implored.

"Go get another torch," Vegeta instructed, removing his tail, "Don't lose the ice."

Kakarott shook his head to clear it as he stood. It was difficult to think through anything beyond the lust pounding in his head. He grabbed a torch, and came back, kneeling in front of the other two.

"Trace a design on his chest, and burn it," Vegeta instructed, holding both of Gohan's arms down at his sides by his elbows.

Kakarott quickly did as he was told, and moaned in pleasure as the prince's tail wound around his cock again as the slave hissed in pain. "Now, ice it," Vegeta instructed. Neither of them were prepared for the needy wail that exploded from between the slave's lips.

"Please...please let me come, your Highness!" Gohan panted. He no longer cared if he should be embarrassed by what was happening or that it was grounds for infidelity. His body was urging him to do what felt good.

"Shut up, Slut," Vegeta hissed as he pressed up inside the other. There was another hiss of pain, and followed again by one of those howling calls. "Oh, gods," the Prince groaned as the slave locked up once more around him, and he finally released his need.

Kakarott cried out has the tail surrounding him squeezed him tightly before jerking up one last time. He climaxed without remorse, both onto the slave's thigh, and his prince's tail.

Gohan struggled, trying to replace the prince's teasing hands with his own. He whined when he was not allowed to do so, panting desperately with his cock aching between his legs.

Vegeta leaned back from the slave's body. He shoved him forward, and spoke quietly to his concubine, "Get him cleaned up and fed. Keep him with you, and you alone!"

Kakarott nodded as he watched his prince get up. He stayed where he was as Vegeta gathered his cloak, and left the hall.

He finally stood as the door closed harshly, and grabbed more ice. He placed on the slave's engorged cock, "Sssssh," he whispered soothingly to the other, "Kakarott's going to make it all better."

Gohan opened lust fevered eyes to the other and nodded, stilling under the other's cooling hand, "Please," he whispered desperately.

Kakarott nodded, and moved his hand to check the effectiveness of the ice. He grunted at the slack in the device, and leaned down to bite through one of the lacings, making it easier to unravel the whole net. He drew back and then licked his lips, "You did well, if the prince wants you to stay with me."

Gohan whined at the lack of sensation, but opened blurry eyes to the other, "Don't hate me."

"Why would I hate you?" Kakarott asked, reaching a finger out to touch the slave's cheek gently.

"He used me instead of you..." Gohan began. He understood it was supposed to have been some sort of punishment aimed at Kakarott.

Kakarott shook his head, "You did me a favor. Vegeta's been too tense lately, and has been afraid to take it out on me."

Gohan sighed, thoroughly confused, and sat up. He grabbed some of the abandoned ice on the floor, and traced it around the collar, trying to cool some of the chaffing. "I wouldn't do that," Kakarott said, pulling his hand away.

"Why?" Gohan asked.

"Any extra moisture around that will feel good now, but make it more raw later," he explained as he stood.

Gohan dropped the ice reluctantly. He shuddered as he felt the concubine pick up his leash, "Come, time to get you cleaned up."

Gohan rolled to his knees before standing. He followed the other out of the hall. "What crime did you commit that your tail was cut off?" Kakarott finally asked. It wasn't too often a sayian slave was found on Vegeta-sei.

Gohan shook his head, not knowing how to answer, "I guess...being half sayian," he came up with lamely.

Kakarott continued to walk towards his quarters, but one eyebrow rose in curiosity. Maybe this was why it was worried about a wife and child it no longer had any control over. He slowed as his door came nearer, before turning into a darkened alcove.

Gohan hissed in shock as his back was pressed against a rough wall, and his fath...Kakarott's mouth was surrounding him in unexpected heat. He moaned loudly as the concubine hummed around him, gasping and pumping up into that sweet mouth. "Oh, Kami," he whispered before a hand was clamped over his mouth. He quieted his moans as best he could before placing both of his hands over the other's as he screeched his climax, slumping to the floor immediately after.

Kakarott rolled the slave to his knees, and then braced himself behind the other. "No..." Gohan started, as he felt the other press against his abused backside, but his mouth was again barricade by a large hand.

Kakarott groaned quietly as he pressed himself into the other, before bringing the other's torso up, and whispering in the slave's ear, "Do you know what happens if we are found," he asked the other.

Gohan shook his head, his eyes having gone wide, and one hand still trying to remove the concubine's from his mouth.

Kakarott nibbled at the slave's ear before continuing to educate the other, "You will be killed outright," he groaned as he fucked the slave. His instincts were getting more and more difficult to control around his prince.

Gohan stilled in shock at the statement, "And I," Kakarott hissed, his head dropping for a moment before he lifted it back up, "Will probably have my dick cut off, be given to the prince's guards for a gang-bang, and then killed. So you will keep your mouth shut!" he whispered harshly, groaning one last time before he let loose into the other.

Gohan shivered at the feeling of Kakarott filling him, before shuddering at his own reaction. He groaned quietly. What the hell was wrong with him?!

Kakarott hissed as he withdrew from the slave. He pulled his pants the rest of the way up, and then picked up the leash where he had dropped it. "Come on. I'd like to get some rest," he said, jerking the slave's leash until the other sluggishly responded. He waited until the other was off of the floor, and into the hall before sending out a low-level ki blanket over the area to destroy any evidence. That had been a one-time opportunity, when the electricity to all surveillance cameras in the area had been turned off.

Gohan stood unsteady on his feet and watched before he followed the concubine to his quarters. Once the door was locked from the inside, the leash and collar were finally removed, and Kakarott seemed to forget him for a moment. He looked desperately around the quarters, inspecting for any way to get out. There was one window near the ceiling, showing a tiny patch of night sky with a few brilliant stars, but he still didn't know if he even had enough ki on this planet to fly.

Kakarott returned too soon for him to find out, "Come," he said, turning back the way he had come from.

Gohan followed him unsteadily, sighing in relief at the sight of the water running from a couple of showerheads. "We will wash and sleep," Kakarott informed him, stepping underneath one of the spigots. Gohan followed his example, and took his time gently running lathered hands over his abused flesh. He glanced up at a snort from the other, and watched Kakarott shake his head before turning away; "You are going to have to get used to it!" he called out over his shoulder.

Gohan rinsed off his hands and then used them to remove the rest of the suds. He turned the water off, and found Kakarott's discarded towel. He used it to dry off with while returning to the first room.

Kakarott held up some plain clothing, "You're a little smaller than I, but these should work." Gohan eyed the clothes greedily, and then checked himself. What was this place doing to him?

Kakarott sighed as he leaned up against a wall, and watched the slave dress. When the other was finished, he pointed towards the bed, "You get the side nearest the wall."

Gohan looked from the bed, back to his father, before sighing and lying down, turning on his side to face the wall.

Kakarott lay behind the slave, throwing a warding arm over him, "Vegeta has placed you under my protection and guardianship. I can't agree I would be the best choice."

Gohan didn't hear a word; he was already sleeping.

~o0o~~o0o~

"...wishes?" Krillan asked, looking around at the rest of the group. Everyone gave each other the same blank stares. None of them had even known someone was looking for the dragon balls.

"Where's Gohan?" Videl asked. Her husband and been laughing and eating with the rest of them. She had gotten up to get him another plate and was returning to deliver it when it had become dark, and now she held a full plate with no one to give it to.

It was sort of odd to watch as one by one the z fighters' eyes went blank the look indicating they were searching for someone's ki. Even Videl knew it was taking too long before Goku finally announced, "I can't feel him." Videl dropped the plate she had been holding.

The clamor it caused as it hit the patio still didn't drown out Chichi's dismayed gasp before she collapsed. Her father caught her before she fell to the ground, laying her out gently. He looked around, "Bra, will you please go get a damp cloth," he asked the young lady. Bra stood from her chair and turned to the task she had been asked to do.

"You're certain?" Bulma turned to Goku.

"Of course he's certain," Vegeta stated from where he had separated himself from the rest of the group.

Bulma snorted at her husband before turning back to her friends, "You don't suppose...why would anyone want to wish Gohan away? If him, why not the rest of the Z fighters?" she asked everyone in the group, who all stared back at her. She was supposed to be the genius! Why was she asking _them_ these questions?

Both Goten's and Goku's heads snapped to the west, "What?"

"Pan," Goku said, putting his fingers to his forehead, and disappearing.

"She must have just figured out what we have," Gotten quickly interpreted his father's actions.

Videl brought a shaking hand to her chest. She sniffled, and then blinked at a handkerchief that seemed to have materialized out of nowhere. She smiled briefly at Yamcha in gratitude, and used it to dab at her eyes.

Moments later Goku returned with Pan in tow, "I am NOT sorry I did it!" she shouted at her grandfather has he forcibly sat her down in a chair, keeping one hand on her shoulder.

"Pan, honey?" Videl asked.

"I am not sorry I wished him out of _my_ life!" Pan told her mother.

There were several surprised gasps, but mostly widened, disbelieving eyes from the youngest Son's statement.

"Are you insane?!" Goten asked his niece.

Pan folded her arms over her chest, "Relax. I only made one wish, with the regular dragon balls. You people can wish him back in six months."

"In order to do that," Vegeta's cold voice broke in, "We need to know where you wished him to...other than 'out of your life'," he added as the brat started to open her mouth.

Pan clenched her jaw, "I don't have to tell you," she squealed in shock as her ear was boxed.

"You don't have to tell him, but you will tell me," eyes already seeming impossibly wide, widened even further at Goku's actions.

Pan turned pain filled eyes to her grandfather at his cold tone. She had never seen him behave this way, "Vegeta-sei."

"There is no Vegeta-sei," Vegeta cut in.

"I wished him to a time line where the sayians had never come to earth, nor had Vegeta-sei been destroyed," Pan said...she was starting to understand maybe she had underestimated her actions...but she _still wasn't sorry_!

"You thought you were in trouble before today?" Videl told her daughter. "You know nothing," Pan visibly shrunk from her mother's fury. Videl couldn't believe her own daughter would do this! Gohan and she had thought their daughter would understand why she was being grounded, after having stowed away on the space ship to New Namek.

"Kakarott," Vegeta spoke, "We need to speak." Goku growled as he let his granddaughter's ear go.

Goku followed Vegeta halfway around the Capsule Corp. building before the prince finally stopped. "What did you want to say, Vegeta," he asked.

"Your son may have...issues on Vegeta-sei," Vegeta began.

"As a mystic, he's stronger than a super sayian, Vegeta. I wouldn't be surprised if he's..."

"He's tailless on our home world, Kakarott," Vegeta interrupted.

Goku looked at him, "What...what does that mean?" he asked with the same gravity Vegeta was using.

"Well, even if he has the strength, it will still mean he's a slave," Vegeta said, "And we...they had borrowed technologies to bind slaves' kis."

The way Vegeta said slave didn't sit well with Goku, "What has my granddaughter done actually mean, Vegeta?"

Vegeta sighed, "Let's go to the G.R. to discuss this. It will take a while."

Goku followed Vegeta towards the training aid. "The best we can hope is that he is sent to the mines," Vegeta said over his shoulder as he opened the door to the G.R.

"What's the worst?" Goku asked as he stepped up the stairs to follow Vegeta.

Vegeta shook his head as he closed the door, his eyes seeming very old and tired.

It was a very educational, and shocking night for Goku.

~o0o~~o0o~

  
  


 


	3. Chapter 2

##  _Idomu_

### By [Macha ](mailto:bynp@comcast.net)

### Chapter 2

 

Gohan whimpered in his sleep. It seemed as though the events from the night before had decided they needed to be explored even further. " _Oh, Vegeta,_ " he heard his father's voice in his dream. Kakarott's pelvic thrusts against his behind were turning him on, immensely, and he wondered when the other would chose to grace him with actual penetration. The sobering thought in his dream brought him abruptly awake from the half doze. He realized only half of what had been happening was a dream. Kakarott _was_ humping his backside, and mumbling the prince's name. "Kakarott!" he hissed, swatting over his shoulder at the other.

"Don't fight me, Ouji," Kakarott sleepily whined against his ear, hugging him even tighter.

Gohan struggled to breathe as Kakarott's strong arms threatened to break his ribs and upper arms. He grit his teeth and snaked his quickly numbing arm back, reaching desperately for the concubine's tail. He got as best a grip as he could on the furry appendage and jerked at it. "Aaaah," Kakarott gave a pleased groan, and Gohan grit his teeth; that _hadn't_ been what he'd been hoping for. He finally dug his nails into the hairless base of the Kakarott's tail.

Kakarott woke with a pained hiss. He grabbed the slave's hand and twisted the thumb out of joint, "What the fuck do you think you are doing?" he asked after the slave screeched.

Gohan panted through the pain. "I'd like to ask you the same question! Humping me in your sleep, and calling _me_ Ouji? Are you _trying_ to get us both killed?" Gohan demanded, remembering what Kakarott had told him last night in the hall, not knowing how much of warning was scare tactic or actual.

Kakarott let the slave's hand drop in order to brush the hair out of his eyes. The pain he had woken to had almost made him forget what his so pleasant dream had been about. Now that the slave had reminded him: he took a deep settling breath, smelling his own arousal permeating the room. He growled and levered himself away from the slave's warm body, turning his legs to hang over the edge of the bed as he sat up, before he reached back and pulled the slave off the bed by his hair.

Gohan grunted as he hit the floor, gingerly rubbing his abused scalp, "Don't get mad at me! I wasn't the one..." he gave a pained gasp as he was backhanded across the face, his body twisting sideways, shoulder connecting with the floor from the force of it.

He groaned, and rolled onto his back, only to have the sound cut short as a bare foot applied ample pressure to his throat, "You really, _really_ talk too much for a slave," Kakarott informed him, "Don't make me suggest to his Highness that he have your tongue cut out," Gohan nodded he understood, and Kakarott removed his foot.

Gohan closed his eyes, grimacing as he snapped his thumb back into place. Then he rubbed his cheek with one hand and his throat with the other. He opened them back up when the sound of running water came to his ears. Kakarott was no longer in the same room as him. He quickly stood, and concentrated on trying to get enough ki to generate to make it to the window. He sighed in disgust as none came to his aid. He was stuck. "Crap!"

"SLAVE! Come here!" Kakarott yelled when he heard the exclamation from the slave. Gohan hung his head, and trotted towards the shower room. "Get undressed, and get in here!" Kakarott said as he caught sight of Gohan.

Gohan sighed and slipped the shirt up over his head and off. He quickened his pace with the pants he wore when he saw Kakarott's look darkening with impatience. He gasped as he stepped closer, the splash back seeming ice-cold. He finally took the bar of soap Kakarott handed towards him. He shivered as he lathered his hands, and began running them over the concubine's toned shoulders. It wasn't until his fingers were slicking over the skin of the other's back that he noticed the goose-bumps forming over every inch of skin.

Kakarott raised his arms over his head, and let them hang loosely as he pressed his hands against the wall, letting the cold spray hit him dead on. He shook his head with disgust at himself, as he shivered even more when the slave began to tentatively wash his back. He growled, "This isn't working."

"Wha-aaaah!" Gohan started to ask which turned into a yelped as he was dragged under the cold spray, and then pressed up against the tiled wall. He clawed at Kakarott's shoulders, the suds still lathering his hands not giving him any traction, as the concubine brought his legs up around his waist and then slammed into him. He choked on the gasp that tried to leave his paralyzed lungs. Kakarott had just hit something that hadn't been touched the night before. When his lungs decided they were going to cooperate again, he tried to stifle the pleasured whine that came unbidden to his throat.

Kakarott growled as he pressed up into the slave savagely. Closed his eyes, trying to block out the tiny gasps the slave was emitting with every thrust he sent into that body. Visions of it being Vegeta instead flashed behind his closed eyes, and he pressed his mouth over the slave's, driving his tongue into the other's open mouth.

Gohan moaned into the mouth that was kissing him, using his tongue to parry against the other's. His fingers twisted in water-matted spikes, and he broke away from the experienced mouth of the concubine, leaning his head back against the wall as he cried out in mindless bliss.

Kakarott growled as he opened his eyes briefly, before he shut them, and started attacking the slave's already bruised neck with his teeth. He grunted in satisfaction, as the pain seemed to bring the slave back to his senses somewhat; at least he was struggling now instead of being a limp scapegoat. That was more like his dream...Vegeta putting up a token of resistance against his undisciplined concubine.

Gohan tried to press the other's face away with his hands...everything had felt so good until Kakarott had started nipping at him. The bites were slowly nearing his pain threshold. He growled, and twisted his hands in order to press his thumbs into the concubine's eyes, but Kakarott swiftly caught them up in his own, and then pressed his wrists above his head with one hand, as he reached the other down to pinch his nipple hard in retribution. "Are you trying to make me angry?" Kakarott growled at him.

"You're hurting me..." Gohan gasped.

"I don't care," Kakarott informed the slave. He watched as the slave closed its eyes, its lower lip trembling somewhat as it turned its face away. "Who ever spoiled you in the past did you no favors," Kakarott said. The slave only nodded that it had heard.

Kakarott dropped it hands, and picked up his pace with his hips. He grunted as the slave began to respond to him again, in a positive manner, pressing their bodies tightly together as he felt the other's erection between them. The concubine smiled fleetingly as the slave called out, and warm liquid splashed up between them, contrasting to the cold water. Kakarott pressed his forehead into the wall over the slave's shoulder and pounded into him until his own release overtook him.

Kakarott unhooked the slave's ankles from behind him, and lifted it off. Gohan settled wobbly to his own feet, and reached for the wall behind him as Kakarott bent to the side, and adjusted the temperature of the water to something more comfortable; the cold shower had proven futile any way.

Gohan bent down to pick the soap up from the floor, only to have one of his knees grow weak on him. He grabbed the bar before standing slowly and started to rub it between his hands. It was suddenly plucked from his possession, and he looked up to see Kakarott lathering it up much faster, "We have a long day ahead of us," the concubine explained as he started rubbing the suds quickly over the slave's body.

Kakarott was surprised at how quickly the burn marks from the night before were healing up, and frowned. That was usually a sign of high ki potential in a slave. The spine block kept them from using ki in outward techniques, but the body could still use its own chi to heal.

He stepped away from the spray to let the slave rinse off as he applied soap to his own skin before pressing the other gently out of the way of the warm water and rinsing off.

"Turn the water off," he instructed as he reached around through the clear curtain and grabbed a couple of the towels off of their shelf. He pressed one into the slave's hands before he started drying himself quickly.

Gohan tried to pick up his speed, but he was still slower than the other. By the time he passed through the curtain, the concubine was already in the process of dressing. This time the outfit was silver/blue, and less flowing. He duly caught the plain white clothing thrown his direction, and started pulling it on. He looked up to see Kakarott staring at him impatiently from a door on the opposite side of the room than they had entered with the night before.

Gohan straightened up, and Kakarott grunted before opening the door. The smell of fresh baked bread attacked Gohan's nose, and his stomach growled rebelliously.

"Been a while since you've had a decent meal?" Kakarott asked as he inspected the common room. Something was off; breakfast should have already been placed on the table.

Gohan nodded, "Yeah," he replied, stepping closer to the doorway.

"Hn," Kakarott commented before stepping all the way into the room, "What time did you wake us?"

Gohan rolled his eyes, but didn't comment on the fact that it had been the concubine that had woken him first, "I have no idea."

Kakarott shot a warning look at the slave and gave a satisfied snort at the its submissive reaction, "You stay in the room," he pressed the other back into his quarters, "I am going to go see how long before breakfast is finished," he informed it before closing his door in the slave's face.

Gohan blew air up into his bangs before turning back to the room. He shook his head as his stomach rumbled again, and looked for anything that might be mildly distracting. Climbing to the window was out; the walls were rough, but had no handholds what so ever in their inwardly curving architecture.

The door they had entered through the night before was locked on the inside by a coded lock...and apparently only Kakarott, and possibly Vegeta, knew the code to get out. If he was ever given enough alone time, he might be able to figure it out...but he knew it would probably be a long time before that happened. He slammed his fist into the hardwood, only to shake his knuckles for the sting, and cursed himself quietly. His body was slowly becoming quite the riddle of bruises and abrasions.

He sucked on his skinned knuckles as he took a seat on the bed. He quickly got up and made it, that little distraction only lasting a minute. Finally he laid himself out on the floor, and started doing pushups. He was only at thirty when Kakarott came back to the room, a basket in hand.

Gohan's nose perked up at the smell of what the other had brought back with him; more of that lovely fresh baked bread smell. His stomach rumbled, and Kakarott shook his head at him before tossing him a loaf. Gohan twisted from his planted stance on the floor in order to catch it before it hit the ground. He rolled up onto his side, and then leaned up to sit cross-legged on the floor as he started tearing into the pastry...what ever it was, it was delicious.

"You got us up three hours earlier than when I usually rise," Kakarott informed him, inspecting the made bed before sitting down on its edge. "And a whole hour before the electricity is turned back on," he took a loaf from the basket for himself, and started pulling it apart, and popping the torn off pieces into his mouth.

"Sowwy," Gohan mumbled around his mouthful. Electricity? This place wasn't all about torches and fire pits all the time then?

Kakarott rolled his eyes in disgust at the crude habit, but didn't say anything. Some mannerisms would be taken care of in a day or two. He stared in disbelief as the slave started sucking the excess oil and crumbs off of his fingers, and quickly grabbed one of the wiping clothes he had brought with him out to the other.

Gohan looked at the cloth being handed to him, and then down at his thumb he had stuck in his mouth. He smiled sheepishly before taking it from the concubine's hand, and wiping his hands clean with it. He held it back out to the other, but Kakarott snorted at him, "You can clean up your own mess. You're the slave, not I."

Gohan frowned, but said nothing as Kakarott finished his own pastry. Gohan hesitated in calling it bread...it was just too damned flaky, and tasty, and sweet, but without the glaze of a doughnut.

Kakarott wiped off his own hands as he thought about what to do. Staying in the room with the slave for long periods of time was quickly not becoming an option. He shook his head, wondering what Vegeta had been thinking, leaving the slave in his 'care'.

"What were you doing when I came back in?" Kakarott asked, trying to think of anything to distract them. Reading was out. The oil lamp was indicating it was running out of fuel.

"I was exercising," Gohan replied.

Kakarott snorted at him, "What do you usually do when you are up this early?"

"I train," Gohan replied. It had been a while since he had been up this many hours before dawn though. He wondered at the strange expression on the concubine's face. "What?"

"I didn't think they let slaves train," Kakarott's look gave Gohan an 'uh-oh' sort of feeling.

"Uh...they don't, that's why I usually did it so early?" Gohan chuckled nervously at his lie, "Got to keep a body in shape some how. Sitting in a pen all day just doesn't do it for one's physique!"

Kakarott snorted with some humor, "Yeah, I guess it doesn't," as he got up from the mattress. He dug around in the back of his closet for something before a training outfit came flying Gohan's direction, "Put those on. We'll see what you know," Kakarott said as he started taking off his current outfit.

Gohan quickly diverted his eyes, and did as he was asked. He smiled briefly at the suit he was putting on...so much like the one Vegeta always wore, but a little loose on him. Apparently this wasn't of the 'shrink to fit' material he was accustomed to. He looked up quickly at the sound of his leash, "What?"

Kakarott shook his head at the slave as he came closer, "You can't go around the palace without a collar," he explained.

Gohan grimaced, "Why?"

Kakarott sneered at the slave with impatience, "You want common guards thinking you are fair game, go ahead," he explained.

"Oh," Gohan cringed at the idea. He tilted his chin up in order for Kakarott to put the collar around his neck, "Does it have to be so tight? I'm not going to run away."

Kakarott shook his head...maybe this slave _was_ brain damaged, "A loose fit will have room to move...which means _more_ chaffing," he explained slowly.

Gohan grimaced at the idea, and didn't ask for anymore obviously stupid favors. It seemed as though Kakarott _was_ doing his best for him, in odd enough ways. "Um...can you tell me where the bathroom is?" Hopefully there wasn't any harm in knowing that little bit of information.

~o0o~~o0o~

Goku sighed. His elbow was resting on his raised knee, and his forehead was resting in his raised hand, "You're telling me all of Vegeta-sei was gay? That you're gay?" He yelped at a small ki blast the prince fired at his shoulder. He angrily rubbed the sting away.

"I am not gay," Vegeta told him for the umpteenth time; the man was just being impossibly dense this early morning. Maybe he should have let him get some sleep?

"But you are saying that you slept...had sex with men?" Goku asked, "That's gay!" he said in frustration after Vegeta nodded.

Vegeta growled, "Fine...whatever! By Earth standards, I am considered 'gay'. By galactic standards I am considered 'normal.'" Once again he was reminded why there were times he hated this backwater mud ball.

"Videl's not going to like it," Goku said quietly, "And she's not going to be so understanding."

Vegeta almost laughed...Kakarott was calling himself 'understanding'? He had this strong urge to go and kick the other sayian in the balls.

"Just so's ya know, Vegeta, I am _not_ gay," Goku said, his eyes closing sleepily.

Vegeta could no longer resist his 'urge'.

~o0o~~o0o~

Kakarott sat on his knees as he watched the slave. The young man had called it a 'kata'. Whatever, it looked like dancing; all poses and fluid movements with no speed or force behind them.

The lights suddenly came on and the concubine tucked his toes under the balls of his feet, standing in a fluid movement, "Slave!" he said, getting the its attention. Kakarott settled into a defensive position, raised a hand palm upward, and then beckoned the other to him.

Gohan gulped. He didn't have ki to speak of on this planet for unknown reasons, and here the image of his father wanted to fight. Yet he didn't know how to refuse with out getting his ass beaten any way. He sighed and tightened down mentally. Speed was his only weapon here, and even most of that was taken away until his body adjusted to the new gravity.

"Show me what use those poses mean in a real fight," Kakarott instructed, "I'll go quarter speed and I won't use ki."

One of Gohan's brows rose in surprise at the concubine's statement. The other knew he had no useful ki? He started with the arm movements of the kata: rigid strike, forearm block, and thumb twist.

Kakarott grinned. This might prove to most useful despite how weak it had looked. "And?"

Gohan blew out a tense breath before performing the leg portion of the kata: shin block, knee strike, and low heel kick.

Kakarott frowned as he barely moved his knee out of the way of the heel kick, "Interesting. Together," he stated.

Gohan nodded and began. Rigid strike and shin block combo. Knee strike and forearm block combo. Thumb twist, pulled the other in, heel strike.

Kakarott grinned, "Don't see a whole lot of strictly physical styles this day and age. Faster," and Gohan started again, picking up his speed.

Kakarott actually chuckled, "Faster." They repeated this pattern six more times before Kakarott threw in a random strike at the end of the kata's combinations. Gohan's eyes widened as the concubine's hand barely made contact in a palm strike to his chest.

"Extremely careless of you not to be expecting that," Kakarott said as he pulled his hand away.

Gohan swallowed and nodded. That _could_ have been his ribs puncturing his heart and lungs. "Again. Expect variations this time!"

Kakarott was thoroughly enjoying pushing the slave to its limits. Apparently, this youngster was more than he seemed. There was no way those 'katas' had put some of the instincts or reactions he was seeing in the slave's responses.

Gohan was sweating profusely and quickly running out of breath. The bread from earlier in the morning was waning. His ki sense suddenly kicked in, causing him to lose focus as he felt Vegeta's and some others' presences. He did half a dozen quick flips out of Kakarott's way before settling down to a crouch next to his collar and pulling it up to his neck. "Ready to call it quits?" Kakarott asked smugly.

Gohan shook his head as he struggled to get the damn thing latched into place. His eyes darted quickly in the direction of the entry to the training area, just as the doors opened.

Kakarott turned towards the entry and seeing who was entering quickly bowed, "Your Highness," he said before standing. He threw a quick glance over his should at the slave, wondering at the other's fortunate reactions. Another thing to add to 'things slaves don't know.'

Vegeta didn't halt his pace into the training room, despite the fact he was extremely surprised to see one of his concubines using the facility. It pleased him greatly that his concubine was taking his direction seriously, and had brought the slave with him. "Kakarott," Vegeta barely acknowledged as some of the elites he was training with today filed in after him.

'Well, this is awkward,' Gohan thought to himself as he dropped both knees to the floor in what he hoped was an acceptable gesture of submissiveness.

Kakarott shivered as he gave his prince another glance over. It wasn't often he had reason to see Vegeta in full armor. He licked his lips in appreciation before he spoke, "I am very sorry your Highness. We will leave immediately."

Vegeta grunted, curious as to what he had interrupted. There was the smell of sweat, and excitement, but not arousal. "You are welcome to use this facility any time it is not in use by actual combatants," Vegeta granted. He'd look over the surveillance tapes later to see what had been going on.

Kakarott bowed low at the unusual privilege he had been granted. Concubines weren't well known for the physical prowess: mostly for looks. In addition, there was always the potential of a concubine not being happy with their station, and taking it out on the party they felt responsible. This was a huge form of trust Vegeta had just given him, "Thank you, your Highness," he said before he turned and grabbed the slave's leash.

Gohan trotted obediently behind Kakarott as it seemed the concubine was in an urgent hurry to leave the room, "That was close," Kakarott said over his shoulder as the doors closed behind them.

One of the elites chuckled as the doors closed, "Maybe someone is getting delusions of grandeur? Anyone interested in teaching him his place?" A few of the elites laughed at his statement, but the jollity came to a complete halt as their leader fell back with a grunt and broken nose.

Vegeta growled as he licked the blood from his glove, "Anyone else distracted by my concubine?" Several heads shook in the negative, "Good, then we can get down to some serious training!"

Kakarott opened his door quickly, and closed it after the slave followed him in. He took the collar off of the other, "Get changed. I hope there is some food left." Gohan didn't have to be told twice. Had he known it was a possibility that they'd miss breakfast, he'd have been stripping in the hall!

He was just finishing putting on the loose shirt as Kakarott opened the inner door. Gohan blinked at him...the concubine certainly knew how to change _fast_. He was already in that silver/blue outfit he had changed out of before they had left. Gohan quickly stepped to follow the other, but Kakarott stopped him, "Get the collar."

Gohan sighed, and went to go and pick it up off the floor, placing it back on. He handed the leash to Kakarott as the other stepped from the room, "Well, seems like Kakarott has decided to grace us with his presence," a female voice said as Kakarott first entered the room.

Gohan followed a step after, and there was sudden silence. He kept his eyes low, even as he tried to figure out how many people there were in the room. He hadn't thought about the fact there might be other concubines until this moment, and unease settled in his stomach. Some of the other sayians in the room were male also, and Gohan had to wonder how things would have gone for him if it hadn't been his fath...Kakarott last night.

"I am glad to see you left some, Rue," Kakarott sneered as he sat down at one of the benches. Gohan knelt on the floor beside him as Kakarott directed the leash. He had been about to sit next to him, forgetting there were such things as protocol to worry about. "Girl like you needs to worry about that sort of thing," Kakarott stated calmly.

Rue screeched and left the table, "Sensitive," one of the other males at the table shook his head before stuffing a boiled egg in his mouth. It seemed as though he swallowed it whole before he stood, "No offense, Kakarott. I was just finishing as you came in."

Kakarott grabbed a breakfast steak of some sort off of a platter with a fork-like utensil, "None taken, Senna. I do understand that I am late." Gohan's mouth was watering to the point of distraction. If he wasn't given something soon, he was going to do something rash.

"Well, don't let it starve," the other female of the group stated as she took a sip from her cup. She placed it back on the table's surface before steepling her fingers under her chin and giving Gohan a long look over.

Kakarott shook his head, and passed another loaf of the same pastry Gohan'd had earlier. "Looks sayian," a male voice from across the table said. Gohan couldn't see him from his position on the floor.

"Smells sayian," the lady who had been most gracious in telling Kakarott to feed him said.

"That's because it is sayian, Yerba" Kakarott said between a mouthful of food and a drink of water. He broke off a piece of the steak he was eating on and passed it to the slave.

Gohan practically inhaled the meat, "You've got your work cut out for you there," the unknown man offered.

Kakarott growled, and passed a used wiping cloth to the slave, "I've noticed. Use it," he glared at Gohan.

Gohan didn't appreciate being treated like a dog, but got the feeling this was the best he could expect from Kakarott while in others' presences. He wiped his fingers off.

"Where did you get him? I didn't realize his Highness was passing out rewards."

Kakarott sighed, "He was gifted to the Prince last night. Apparently his Highness had no wish to be bothered dealing with a slave today. So he turned him over to me for the time being."

Yerba sighed, "Well, it's a damn good thing it wasn't given to me."

"Why's that, Yerba?" the other male asked.

"I've gotten rather lonely with his Highness's attention always focused on one of us," she glanced sideways at Kakarott.

Who snorted, "I have no idea what the attraction is, I swear!"

The other male chuckled, "Well, we can't all have your looks, Kakarott."

"Thanks, Parral," Kakarott said; hoping the other would drop it.

"Maybe you could suggest to his Highness having some company once in a while?" Yerba asked archly.

"I am not so certain his Highness would like such a suggestion coming from one of his concubines. He might get the idea things were happening while he wasn't here," Kakarott responded.

Parral shuddered, "Don't do it, then. Lock down sucks."

Yerba pouted but nodded, "Yes, forget I asked," she said as she got up and moved towards another one of the doors from this apparent common room.

Gohan pulled back on his leash just the tiniest bit, hoping Kakarott would get the hint that he was still hungry. All of this talk was rather boring to him, and his stomach was about to make some very noisy, and therefore embarrassing, complaints.

Kakarott stabbed at a bigger steak of meat, placed it on a platter, and set on the bench in front of Gohan, "Well, I'll leave so you can finish feeding it. I seriously don't envy you the roommate."

Kakarott nodded, "I'm going to have to see about getting a cot or something. It hogs up the bed."

Gohan grimaced. Hogging the bed hadn't been the problem. He finished the steak as the last concubine left the room, and lifted up on his knees to look at what was left on the table, "Go ahead. I am not going to continue to feed you like that when you have two good hands of your own."

Gohan picked up his plate and grabbed several things off of the table. He sat back down on the floor as Kakarott growled when he was made a move to sit on the bench next to him. Apparently some things wouldn't be allowed, even if there were no one with them.

"We all watch each other like hawks. Some of us more willing to use information to get higher up in Vegeta's grace," Kakarott said between bites.

"Like Rue?" Gohan asked. She certainly seemed the type.

"Like Rue," Kakarott agreed.

"So, how did you get where you are?" Gohan asked as he peeled a fruit similar to an orange. Kakarott looked at him funny while he was doing it, but Gohan completed it anyway.

"You know...it may be because I don't back stab," Kakarott said thoughtfully, "It's never been one of my stronger skills as a concubine."

Gohan thought it had more to do with his the concubine's talented mouth. He bit into the fruit and juices dribbled down his chin; it tasted like watermelon! He used his tongue to get as much of it off before he looked up to see Kakarott staring at him, "What?"

"That was just obscene," Kakarott told him quietly.

"Oh," Gohan said, reaching blindly for the napkin, "You know...maybe you should just let me eat in the room," he suggested as he placed it back down.

"That won't work forever," the concubine told the slave, "There may be times you have to be seen eating in public."

Gohan sighed, "I hope everything's not this difficult."

Kakarott shook his head as he stood, grabbing Gohan's leash to take them back to his room, "What are we doing now?" Gohan asked.

Kakarott boxed his ear, "You really need to stop talking so much. You're going to embarrass me. I'll let you know what you need to know." Gohan sighed; he never knew when he was going to disappoint the other by something or not; it was very difficult to separate this person from his father.

Kakarott led them straight through the room and to the other door. They exited the room, and Kakarott went the opposite direction from where Gohan had been both times. He wanted to ask so badly where they were going, but bit his tongue to keep from doing so.

"You met Rose yesterday?" Kakarott asked as he started down some stairs. Gohan nodded, "Good. We are going back to see her. She didn't do a very thorough job with you yesterday."

Gohan's eyebrows rose at that bit of news. He had been practically shaved clean and deloused. He got to wonder what else there possibly was as they made their way to the lower levels of the palace.

Soon Kakarott was stopping in front of a door and knocking, "Rose? You in?" he asked with almost as much respect in his voice as when the concubine was speaking to Vegeta.

"Hold on!" Gohan heard Rose yell through the closed door. Moments later bolts were being undone, and the door finally opened. "Kakarott, what can I...oh, him!" Rose grinned. Her smile failed slightly as she did double takes between the two of them, and Gohan swallowed hard. "Well, come in," she said, stepping aside after her observation.

Kakarott walked into the first room, pulling Gohan's leash absently, "I need to ask favors," Kakarott started.

Rose frowned at him and put her hands on her hips, "No such thing between friends, Kakarott," she informed him.

Gohan looked back and forth between the two of them covertly, but still wasn't certain what their relationship was, "He needs piercings," Kakarott said, and Gohan started.

He opened his mouth to speak, but a glare from Kakarott had him almost biting his tongue to get it closed again. "What were you hoping for?" Rose asked as she led the way back to the grooming room.

"Tongue and clavicle, nipples, belly button and cock head," Kakarott stated calmly, yanking on the chain when Gohan stopped following him.

Rose started putting some protective gloves on, "You want rings immediately? Or bars to start?"

"Bars to start," Kakarott said, "Take your clothes off," he ordered Gohan as he took the collar off of the slave.

Gohan's eyes had gone wide. He wasn't so certain about this at all. What would Videl think? He reached for the neckline of his shirt as Kakarott made a move to do the task for him if he didn't start. Before he knew it, he was being pressed back into the full-length leather chair. Rose had already set out several of the bars she and Kakarott had been talking about.

"It is very important you hold still," Rose began as she picked up a gun looking device and loading one of the bars into it, "You move the wrong way when this punctures, and it could cause nerve damage. I really don't think the prince is going to keep a slave with a lisp," she said, looking at him, she placed the gun back on the tray.

Gohan nodded he understood, thoroughly disgusted with himself. Was he really going to just sit here and take this mutilation of his body? It seemed he didn't have a choice. Rose turned back to him, and started applying something wet and cool to the areas of skin Kakarott had instructed were to be pierced, with the exception of his tongue. He wiggled a bit but stilled at growl from Kakarott as Rose swabbed his dick.

"We'll start with the most painful first," Rose said, "Stick out your tongue," she said much to Gohan's surprise. The cock piercing had sounded so much worse. He stuck his tongue out of his mouth, and Rose placed the device over it, "Hold his head, Kakarott," Gohan felt the concubine's hands squeeze around his chin and his forearms cradled his head, "Now, I want you to look at me," she said, nodding as Gohan did so. Her eyes suddenly seemed so fascinating, "Now, take a deep breath, and let it out steadily through your nose," she instructed, keeping eye contact with him the whole time.

Gohan breathed in deeply through his nose, and then started to let it out slowly. He jerked; tears springing to his eyes and his nose becoming immediately congested as the contraption pierced his tongue with no warning, "Very good," Rose cooed at him, "The roughest one is over," she assured him as she loaded another bar into the gun.

She shifted further down his left side and grabbed at skin just below his neck. Kakarott placed a hand under his aching jaw, and pulled his eyes away from where Rose's hands were working. There was a slight prick, and then Rose was loading the gun once again, "See? Easier?" she asked, as she pinched one of Gohan's nipples. Gohan had started to answer, but failed to do so as he gasped. He flinched a bit as he felt metal invading his flesh, but it hadn't been anywhere near as painful as his tongue had been. In the time it took him to compare, his other nipple was pierced, and he shuddered.

He hissed as his stomach was touched, but held obediently still. He watched as Rose tried to get a better grip at skin there. She stuck out her tongue in concentration. A moment later there was some brief pain before she had shifted down his body far enough that he _knew_ where she was going to pierce next.

"Will you please come hold legs, Kakarott?" she asked the concubine, who moved immediately to the opposite side of the chair as she. He pressed his hands into the top of Gohan's thighs.

Gohan's eyes widened as he watched Rose screw the piercing width wider, and then place what he considered an extremely long bar into the device, "Now, once again, I need you to hold very still," Rose said, "It will probably be best if you look at the ceiling, sweetie," she instructed as she grabbed his penis.

Gohan did as she instructed immediately; this really wasn't something he thought he could watch. Videl was going to kill him when he got wished back! He felt the cool metal of the gun bracket him, and then there was a slight jerk, "See? All done," Rose said calmly.

Gohan relaxed. He hadn't felt anything at... "AAAAAAAAAAAH!" he screeched in shock and threw a nasty glare at Rose.

Who smiled apologetically, "I've been doing this for quite some time. That part goes easier with a bit of deception," she said knowingly.

Gohan nodded as he closed his eyes and panted, trying to gain his breath back. He opened his eyes to send Kakarott a baleful look as the concubine had the audacity to pat his knee encouragingly.

Kakarott smiled and shrugged, before moving to take something from Rose, "This is for him to use to rinse his mouth out," Rose said, handing Kakarott a closed jar, "This is topical for his other piercings," she said, handing the concubine a tube, "If any of them become infected, you have to come see me right away!" she instructed as she handed over a bag for them to be carried in. "I know it might not be able to be helped, but if he can not perform oral sex for at least two days..."

"I'll try to make sure that doesn't happen," Kakarott assured her.

Rose nodded, and then turned back to the slave, "You did better than many of those who have come here seeking this on their own," she said, as she wiped a clean linen cloth quickly over his pierced areas.

Gohan grunted as he sat up, not really caring how well she thought things had gone. It had still been painful, and humiliating. He reached for his shirt off of the floor, and then gingerly put on his pants.

"It will be a day before you can talk properly, and try _not_ to play with it," Rose advised. Gohan grimaced slightly, but nodded, not even bothering to respond verbally. He lifted his chin as Kakarott brought the collar up and cringed a bit until Kakarott cinched it tight enough it didn't bump into the piercing on his clavicle.

"Thank you Rose," Kakarott said as they left her rooms.

Gohan had no desire to talk to this man now, and this feeling had very little to do with the pain his tongue was still experiencing. He didn't know why it had been required of him to go through this, and he was hesitant to know the actual answers, although he had a feeling it would become more than apparent over time.

He shuffled his bare feet up the stairs behind Kakarott, hardly paying attention to where they were going. He shifted his awareness to his surroundings when he thought they had gone up one flight of steps more than they had gone down.

Kakarott smiled as he noticed the slave's demeanor take a sudden upturn, "Going to get some studying in," he commented just as they came to an open arched entryway. Gohan gaped at all the books! His father studying was bizarre enough, but he really had no idea why he had never considered the fact that sayians might have their own form of literature.

Kakarott strode down the rows of shelves, taking random seeming turns until he stopped in front of one group in particular. Gohan took great interest in what they were looking at to begin with, but then something hit him...he couldn't read it! How was it possible he understood everything that was being said, if he couldn't read the language? It upset him to no end; learning was his passion, and here he was, the biggest opportunity in his LIFE, and he wasn't able to take advantage of it!

Kakarott looked over at the slave as it gave a disgusted sigh, but shrugged it off. He had already adjusted his schedule way out of norm for it...it should just be happy he hadn't taken it back to his room and tied it up for the duration of the day.

The concubine grabbed some books off the shelf, and passed them to the slave to carry. Gohan hissed as one of the books rubbed up against one of his nipple piercings, but hurried to rebalance what he had as Kakarott added another to the group. He followed obediently as Kakarott moved through the shelves to a set of long tables, and placed his burden down. Gohan was about to pull out a chair and take a seat before Kakarott shook his head at him. He knelt on the floor instead.

He took a look at his surroundings out of curiosity. The perspective was certainly different. He was able to see random people set in different chairs, but only their lower half. This sort of amused him. It amused him even more when someone would scratch themselves where they probably would not have if they knew someone was watching.

He sighed and rolled from his knees in order to sit cross-legged on the floor as Kakarott flipped a page. Watching people from the ground level really could only keep him occupied for so long.

Kakarott looked to the side briefly as one of the slave's hands snuck up over the table's edge to grab at one of the smaller books. He shook his head sort of surprised the slave even had an interest in what he was reading. It didn't surprise him that the slave thought it could read though. There was something about him...Kakarott knew he was more than what he seemed. He just hadn't determined if it was necessary to find out what that was though.

Gohan opened the book to stare at the pages, wondering what secrets were locked away in this language he could speak, but couldn't read. He climbed back to his knees, hoping libraries here had at least one thing in common with those of Earth.

He smiled as he noticed paper and small writing utensils. He reached his hand to pick them up, but Kakarott's hand was suddenly holding his wrist down to the table, "You need something?"

Gohan tried to talk, but his tongue didn't want to function. He grimaced and showed his piercing discretely to the other.

Kakarott growled and grabbed the small notepad and a stylus before passing them to the slave. Gohan smiled his thanks, but placed them back on the tabletop, and started writing. A moment later, he pushed it into Kakarott's line of sight.

Kakarott grunted, "I can't read this," he said looking at the extremely strange symbols. They were definitely symbols though, and not doodles. His interrupted training as a communications officer made it difficult to ignore the challenge.

Gohan smiled and nodded before touching the page in front of the concubine, hoping to communicate that he couldn't read what Kakarott was looking at. That startled Kakarott. He had forgotten the slave had told him he wasn't completely sayian.

Kakarott contemplated the other for a moment before standing back up, he grabbed the bag of things the slave needed for his piercings and then left the table, forcing Gohan to follow. They headed towards a different section of the library, and the concubine pulled a couple of books off of the shelf before heading towards the entry. He stopped briefly at the desk in front, marking something down it what looked like a logbook to Gohan before the two of them left.

It didn't take them long to get back to Kakarott's room. The concubine threw the books on the bed. He stepped towards the bathroom, and Gohan hoped he wouldn't take too long; he had need of the facilities himself!

A moment later Kakarott came out, and Gohan darted around him to get in. He yelped when he pulled his pants down too quickly, and slowed down after he was reminded of his new addition. He was just finishing when he heard the concubine yell, "Crap!" He came out quickly, wondering what was up, before his leash was grabbed, and they were out the door again, books left behind. "For having gotten me up early, you've totally thrown my schedule behind for the day," Kakarott said disgruntled.

Gohan had no idea what had the other so upset. A moment later Kakarott was opening up a door and stepping through. The first impression Gohan received from this group of rooms was one of a massage parlor.

He didn't get much of a chance to look at it though, as shackles were suddenly placed over his wrists, a cloth sack over his head, and both the chains between his wrists, and the one that made up his leash were hooked into something over his head, "Stay quiet," were Kakarott's parting words to him.

Gohan growled, jerking at the chains slightly, before he sighed. "Late for your appointment, Kakarott? That's not like you," Gohan heard an unfamiliar voice.

"I've had something unexpected added to my schedule. I'll try not to make a habit of being late," Gohan heard the concubine's voice respond.

"Do you want to use the tub or the table first?" the new voice asked.

"Have you already run the water?" Kakarott asked in return.

"Yes, sir," came an almost apologetic reply.

"Then I'll use the tub, and we'll use a scented oil instead after," Kakarott sighed.

And then there was silence, and nothing to occupy Gohan but his own thoughts and slight twinges from his newly acquired piercings. In a effort to distract himself from running his tongue piercing against his teeth or lips, Gohan started doing arm pull ups with the aid of the chains around his wrists, "One," he whispered quietly to himself as he raised himself up slowly, and then let himself drop even slower, "Two."

~o0o~

Prince Vegeta wore a frown on his face as he entered the control room, "Get out," he said quietly, and everyone staffing the room at that hour left immediately at his command. An emergency council had stalled him from coming here as soon as he had hoped, and now he was missing part of his lunch to do this. His eyes narrowed, he hoped it was worth the effort.

He sat in one of the cushioned chairs, and swiveled until he was seated in front of a group of monitors. He pressed buttons, and clicked switches, until he found the bit of video he had been hoping for. He sat back and watched while the slave demonstrated something in the training room upon his concubine's request. He watched with increasing interest as his concubine instructed the slave to move faster, and the slave did so at increasing levels even beyond what was to be expected with someone who had their ki blocked. "He's running solely off of his chi?" the prince asked himself as he sat up and leaned closer to the screen with more interest.

The slave suddenly ended the match, back flipping until he was in reaching distance of his collar, "Ready to call it quits?" he heard his concubine taunt the slave. Vegeta huffed in disgust; the slave would never be a match for Kakarott, and taunting it was behavior usually below his concubine.

Something as the slave placed the collar over its neck caught the prince's attention, and he stopped the feed, rewound it, blew up the picture to concentrate on the slave's neck, and then zoomed in. Vegeta frowned. Chaff marks were horizontal, not vertical. He stopped the tape to give himself some time to think.

He replayed the events of the evening before over in his mind, shivering as he remembered Kakarott's aggressive moment with him. Vegeta groaned, and then looked around the room as though he expected someone to have observed his loss of control. He dropped his head back to the headrest, and closed his eyes. If the slave had not been there to witness it...Vegeta was honest enough with himself to know he may very well have let his concubine go through with the suggestive actions.

The prince bit his bottom lip, trying to pull himself away from those treacherous thoughts. The concubine lusting after his master in such a fashion was delinquent enough by itself to get Kakarott killed. Vegeta didn't need to complicate things even further by falling prey to his lesser desires.

Shaking himself physically, Vegeta concluded that at no time had the slave's collar been off during the night...at least not in his presence. Which meant the teeth marks had come sometime after, "Kakarott," he whispered, "What are you thinking?" Knowing this, he supposed the other couldn't stay in his favor...but even this spark of rebellion wasn't enough to deter Vegeta. The prince briefly wondered if anything ever would be enough. "What are you doing to me, Kakarott?"

Servant gossip was the other concubines were starting to take exception to the prince's singling Kakarott out for his attentions. The prince knew he couldn't very well dismiss them without directing more attention to the situation, only this time from people who would do something about it; like his father...or the council. "Why couldn't you be elite class?" he asked as he slammed his fist into the arm of the chair, knocking it off.

Vegeta sighed at his loss of control, and leaned forward to press the buttons that would get the feed to continue to play at normal view. He stopped the tape and rewound it seconds later, watching the slave again. Back flips, collar and then the doors opened with his group entering. "Interesting," Vegeta said out loud as he stopped the tape again. He steepled his fingers together as he leaned onto the control panel, "What a _very_ interesting ability," he repeated just before he began the functions to erase this part of the record.

~o0o~

"1047," Gohan was now soaked in sweat. Some of his piercings had started to burn as his own body fluid started to run into them, and he focused on willing the irritation from his mind, "1048," he stilled as his feet touched the floor as he heard a door opening in some part of the room.

"Don't work on the nails today," the slave heard the concubine's voice.

"Very wise," Gohan heard the unknown voice from earlier. He listened as the others in the room shifted around. Now that he was no longer moving, his arms were screaming at him from the abuse he had put them through. He chastised himself mentally for not training more under his own body power; his reliance on ki was disappointing and overly apparent.

He shivered as he heard the concubine unrepentantly moan, "Yeah, that's the spot," Kakarott's voice spoke.

"Why so tense?" the other asked.

A growl preceded the answer, "I don't wish to talk about it." Flesh patting flesh was heard directly after. Kakarott's moans were distorted as the air from his lungs to produce them was forced out at irregular speeds, and Gohan guessed that the concubine was getting a very intense massage.

He started working on leg stretches as best he could, figuring they would be there a while, but more pull-ups would cause unwanted attention.

~o0o~~o0o~

  
  


 


	4. Chapter 3

##  _Idomu_

### By [Macha ](mailto:bynp@comcast.net)

### Chapter 3

 

Videl sat down listlessly in a chair, watching Bulma work for a moment, "Gohan's boss finally fired him," she said. She wondered why she had even bothered coming up with excuses as to why Gohan hadn't been able to teach his classes.

Bulma looked up from her project. She hadn't even thought of Gohan's job in the midst of all of this, "He is more than welcome to come and work for me when he gets back," she told Videl. The man may have fought it tooth and nail as a child, but he _was_ a genius.

Videl nodded apathetically; this was really only one of many issues she was having to deal with because of her daughter's selfish actions, "And there's no way to adjust the radar so it can find the dragonballs before they reactivate?" Videl asked Bulma.

Bulma shook her head; she had come to expect such random changes in conversation from Videl over the last few weeks. Still, the desperation in the young woman's voice broke her heart, "Right now, they are no different than rocks of that size. There's nothing to differentiate them," she tried her best to explain.

Videl sighed, slowly sinking into a chair. She hung her head in her hands. She wasn't going to cry again; she wasn't. They would be able to wish Gohan back in five months... but, Kami, how she missed her husband!

She looked at her watch and grimaced. Pan still had three hours of training with Vegeta. "Do... do you have a job opening for me?" Videl finally asked. Having lost Gohan's income was becoming obvious at the Son residence.

Bulma smiled sympathetically, "Sure honey," she said, patting Videl's knee, "Can you start tomorrow at eight?"

Videl smiled back, "Yes."

~o0o~~o0o~

Gohan shifted on his cot. He sighed quietly before sitting up and leaning his back against the wall. He had still not gotten used to the time difference on Vegeta-sei. As far as he could recon, a day was 30 Earth hours long. He grew tired before it was time to sleep, and woke before it was time to rise.

The first week, he had been able to alleviate his fear for his wife and daughter. He had sat and meditated for a good hour before sending his awareness out to look for them. He figured if he could feel people he didn't know, and recognize those he had only met a time or two, then his daughter and wife would have been easy to find if they were on planet. His father's ki had surprised him. The insignia was almost the same, very little difference. Vegeta's had a bigger variant, but he could still tell it was the prince.

The second week had been hell, as he was still learning there were very big gaps in the personalities he knew and was now dealing with. He had also had the bars exchanged for rings. Those were turning out to be rather interesting.

This morning Gohan went over the sayia-go written language in his head. Kakarott had been very pleased at his speed in learning it over the past three weeks. As far as Gohan could figure, the spoken language was much more closely tied to instincts than what he would have thought possible. The common spoken language was apparently a universal standard; at least as far as he could tell. There were times Kakarott would start looking like he was going to start asking questions of his own at an unfamiliar term he used and Gohan would shut up. The last thing he wanted was sayians looking for Earth.

Gohan brought his mind back on track. Something was bothering him. He changed his focus, and started threading his awareness around Vegeta-sei. Having had to sit through that exchange with the Elder that had made him 'mystic' had certainly taught him a lot more than he had thought possible.

One half of the planet was mostly sleeping. Those awake had tasks that needed tending this early in the morning; like those lovely bakers. Gohan licked his lips. Further out in one direction, people were turning in, and in the other, more sayians had already risen, and were going about daily routines.

The planet seemed normal, as far as such an alien place could be normal. Gohan leaned his head back against the wall as he cast his awareness off planet. Namek and Earth were easy to find, and he enjoyed feeling something familiar for a moment; briefly checking on his mother, Bulma, Yamcha and others he knew where there, regardless of the time line difference. He saddened a bit as he realized here, he would never feel Piccolo or Goten or Trunks or his daughter. He moved his awareness past Earth's solar system quickly after that. Then something in his gut twisted. He came to what he thought was moments later, only now the sun was up, and Kakarott was rousing.

'What had that been?'

Dark eyes opened to him, "You slept in," Kakarott said in surprise as he lifted himself up.

"N-no," Gohan gasped, realizing he was shaking.

The stuttering got the concubine's attention, "Are you ill?"

"I-I d-don't kn-know," Gohan pressed out. Was he crying? What the fuck?!

Kakarott threw back the covers as he sighed heavily, walking over to touch his hand to the slave's forehead, "You're freezing!" he exclaimed, picking the slave up from its fetal position on the cot and carrying it to the shower room. He cranked the water on, just barely warm. Any amount of heat was going to be better than what the slave was holding, but truly hot water would probably put it into shock.

"What happened?" Kakarott asked as he stepped under the warm spray, still holding the slave.

"I w-was-s med-di-ta..."

"Meditating?" Kakarott filled in; the slave did that a lot.

"Yeah," Gohan shifted in the other's arms.

"And?" Kakarott pressed.

"I don't know," Gohan spoke slowly. He was starting to warm up. His abs didn't feel as though they wanted to fold in on themselves any more. He sighed gratefully.

Kakarott set the slave on its feet, "Maybe you shouldn't be meditating so hard without your ki," he suggested as he leaned over to turn the water temperature up a fraction.

Gohan looked thoughtful, and then nodded. He was using his own life force to stretch out that far; maybe it hadn't been such a great idea. He finally relaxed into the spray, turning his head to wash the tears from his face.

"Well, this is rather interesting," both Kakarott and Gohan started at the sound of the prince's voice. Gohan dropped to his knees after his initial shock, bowing his head low. He had no idea why he hadn't felt the other come in.

"Your Highness," Kakarott said much calmer than he felt as he bowed. He had gotten used to the slave's ability to know who was where, and not having been warned the prince was with them was disturbing.

"Should I join you?" Vegeta asked as he looked at the two of them with some amusement. They both still had their sleeping garments on. He was surprised at his concubine's look of longing at his words. Really, it had only been a week. Vegeta had thought his concubine would enjoy the break his off-world endeavor had granted him.

"Please," was Kakarott's quiet reply. There was more emotion than what he had meant to portray in his request, "Your Highness."

Vegeta felt his lungs stall, and his foot shift forward before he got hold of his reactions. "Actually, I was hoping you wouldn't mind sparring with me this morning," he said, although it was very tempting to get undressed.

"Yes, my prince," Kakarott said as he stepped to leave the shower.

Gohan got up, careful to keep his eyes low and turned the water off and followed the concubine's example of stripping wet clothes in the shower. He grabbed a towel from its shelf after the other two had removed themselves. He stopped just before he came around the dividing wall. Apparently the prince and the concubine were not going to be able to make it to the training area today.

Kakarott sat over Vegeta's lap. The prince had his hands wrapped in the concubine's hair so tight Gohan wondered when it was going to start ripping out. The concubine was practically singing his need, tail wrapped around a portion of the prince's arm, and the prince was growling possessively. Gohan hunkered down on the floor, laying his head on his extended arms, turning it away so they could have as much privacy as possible, but still know he was present, if they decided they needed him for something. It was better than them having to interrupt themselves by having to look for him.

Kakarott pressed the releases on Vegeta's chest armor. He sat back briefly in order for the prince the shrug it off. His fingers were already at the hem of Vegeta's shirt before it hit the floor. Vegeta lifted his arms, and Kakarott pulled the garment off with much less finesse than usual in his hurry to contact the prince's bare skin with his hands.

Gohan shivered as a tail briefly touched him. He turned his head when it tapped him a bit harder, 'Oh, shit!' He had been trying his damnedest to try and learn how to anticipate anything these two could want from him; he'd messed up. He moved with as much stealth as possible for the cupboard, reaching in quietly and pulling out a bottle of oil. By the time he came back, Kakarott was kneeling on the floor between the prince's naked legs. Vegeta was levering himself up off the bed with his arms, but his head was thrown back in pure ecstasy as Kakarott worked him over.

The slave touched his leg briefly, and Kakarott held his hand back, getting a firm grip on the bottle that was set in his hand. He ran it along the mattress until he could press it against the prince's hand.

Vegeta looked down as a solid object touched his forearm. He pulled the concubine off of him, his desire to refresh him self with the concubine's body overwhelming. He led the concubine up to the bed with him, maneuvering him until he was on his hands and knees. He popped the cork from the bottle, pouring oil onto his hand without regard for the amount before tossing it to the floor. He ran his hand over his own cock once before he used the rest to press his fingers quickly into his concubine.

Gohan retrieved the bottle from the floor as quickly as possible. He daringly reached for the cork on the mattress, only to have his wrist captured by the prince's tail. He stilled instantly.

Vegeta took Kakarott swiftly, roaring as he filled his concubine. This sayian...his concubine had haunted his thoughts during the whole mission. It had been pure torture to be away from him for a week.

Gohan cringed a bit; there was going to be hell to pay from the other concubines later for this. Vegeta had not been in a concubine's private quarters since before he had been gifted to the prince.

Kakarott was panting and whining. It had been too long and he wanted more than what the prince was allowing him, "Please!" Vegeta grabbed his concubine's tail and tweaked it, "Your Highness." Vegeta grinned, and ran his hand down the length of his concubine's tail before pressing the tip of it against the slave's lips.

Gohan opened his mouth obediently, and let the furry appendage in. He started sucking it lightly and twirling his tongue around the tip of it as the prince started rolling his hips. Kakarott screeched in bliss, climaxing. Gohan brought his hand up to hold the concubine's tail in his mouth. He knew Kakarott wasn't finished, and it would certainly be a point of pride for the prince to not cave so quickly.

Vegeta grinned greedily as he continued to roll into his lover. "Ah," he hissed. He released the slave's wrist before running the tip of his tail over its mouth.

Gohan reached his hand very gently for the prince's tail, taking the tip of it into his mouth along with the concubine's, running his tongue around both of them, separating them, and then twining all three together. He closed his eyes in concentration as the prince started panting in earnest.

Kakarott was dizzy as his second climax came over him. He hadn't realized he had been so needy.

"Aaah," Vegeta grunted quietly, stilling as he spilled into his lover. He felt the slave let his tail go gently as he collapsed and then rolled onto his back on the mattress.

Gohan laid his head over his arms again, grinning happily, and sighing quietly. Those two together were amazing to watch. He yelped briefly as his hair was used to bring him up onto the mattress with the other two. He watched as they kissed much more lovingly than a prince and a concubine should, but he would _never_ bring this to anyone's attention: especially not theirs!

"Kakarott," Vegeta said, pulling slowly away from the kiss.

"Yes, your Highness?" the concubine asked, reaching for the other's lips, but stopping as the prince broke away from him. There was an interesting gleam in his prince's eyes.

"Mmmmm," Vegeta pressed his lips briefly to his concubine's again before pulling Gohan closer, and laying him out on the bed next to his side, "I want to watch you," Vegeta requested, slowly stroking the slave's cock to hardness. Vegeta didn't care if the concubine thought it was demeaning or not. Kakarott would do as he asked without questions.

Kakarott couldn't believe what the prince was asking of him. This was something he could get his tongue cut out for if someone caught him doing this without permission. He leaned over the prince's body in order to surround the slave with his mouth. He used much less gusto than he had on the prince minutes earlier. The slave wasn't used to this.

Gohan's eyes widened as he watched Kakarott go down on him, "Aaaaaaah," he cried as he closed his eyes, tensing. The last thing he wanted to do was press himself into that mouth without permission.

Vegeta ran his hand over Kakarott's back as he pillowed his head with his other arm, watching as the concubine handled the slave. He smoothed down the other's buttocks before slightly tickling the back of his concubine's thigh.

Kakarott groaned at his prince's gentle touch. He wondered what had brought these unusual behaviors from Vegeta on as he slurped around the slave. He closed his eyes as he reached a hand to stroke most of the slave's shaft, getting good suction on just the first few inches of its erection. He pulled back, tugging gently with his teeth at the piercing before going back to sucking.

Gohan thrashed his head back and forth in an effort to keep his hips from bucking. He quickly placed his hands under his back as his fingers started clutching wildly at the bedding. Reaching up to grab the concubine's head would have dire consequences, he was certain. He yelped and his eyes opened wide as the nipple piercing closest to the prince was tugged on. He panted and his eyes accidentally locked with the Vegeta's. He felt as though he should look away, but the prince kept eye contact with him, and he didn't think he was supposed to look away. He cried out as he filled the concubine's mouth still gazing at Vegeta.

The openness Vegeta saw in the other's eyes was mesmerizing. He found it fascinating to watch as the slave came while their eyes were locked. He smiled briefly, and the slave took that as a permission to close his eyes again. He placed his hand on the concubine's back as Kakarott moved to get up, and Kakarott stilled.

Kakarott groaned as the prince reached for him where their bodies met. He slid slowly into the hand that was offered, feeling himself run out of palm, and rub against Vegeta's stomach. He continued to pump himself up and down until the prince released him. The concubine bit his lip, trying not to moan with need. He shifted as Vegeta sat up below him, and closed his eyes as the prince kissed his neck when they were both kneeling on the bed.

Gohan took it as a signal to stay where he was as the prince's tail ran up and down his body. He shivered slightly, both at the sensation against his skin, and the hungry kiss he was watching. He separated his legs wide as Vegeta's tail ran between his thighs.

Vegeta reached his hand into his concubine's hair, before pulling the other's head back and kissing at his throat, sucking briefly on the other's extended Adams apple. He purred as the other whined, and then shifted to the side of the concubine, pushing Kakarott until he was between the slave's legs. He reached for Kakarott's erection, and pressed him down until he could feel the other was at the slave's entrance. When his concubine didn't take the hint, he pressed on his lower back until he moved correctly.

Gohan grimaced as he was entered without being prepped. He hissed and bit his bottom lip as the concubine continued his slow course without stopping until their union was complete. There was some shifting on the bed, and then Kakarott was gasping, his eyes open wide in amazement.

Vegeta pressed into his concubine and rolled his hips once, before grabbing Kakarott's hips and pulling them back, and then pressing them forward again. He grinned as he heard the slave moan.

Kakarott laid his head against the slave's chest, panting, as he started rolling back onto Vegeta's shaft, and then pressing forward into the slave. Vegeta's jaw fell open as he leaned his head back, and he groaned quietly as he let the concubine continue to work.

Kakarott was lost to the ebb and flow. The prince's growls and the slave's groans motivating him to hold when all he wanted to do was scream his pleasure. He panted with effort, and pressed his arms into the mattress, levering his torso up. The slave caught on quick, and wrapped its legs around his hips.

Vegeta growled and chuckled at the same time, wedging his tail between their bodies, running the fur over their nipples before wrapping around the slave's erection. This was fucking fantastic! The mattress gave an odd bounce as the slave locked up in its second orgasm. His concubine tightened up in response, his body jerking slightly as the slave milked him.

Vegeta bit Kakarott's shoulder blade as he came again, licking at the blood he drew as he came down from his high, "No training," he said seriously with a hint of humor tinting his words. Kakarott nodded his head enthusiastically, "And you two can shower with your clothes off, together," he smirked as he kissed the back of his concubine's neck.

Kakarott chuckled, was that what this was all about? "Thank you, your Highness," he said, just before licking the slave's cum off of the prince's tail. Vegeta howled and fell to the bed.

Gohan groaned as he shifted his now numb hands out from under his back. The pleasurable euphoria ebbed as he thought about his wife...how was he going to explain this to her, if he ever got the chance? Not just the sex with men, but the fact he actually liked it?

~o0o~

Gohan looked up as silence engulfed the room. The concubine was crouched low in a corner. Sweat freely fell from the tip of Kakarott's nose and down the sides of his face. The slave estimated it wouldn't be long before today's training session was over. He turned his attention back to the book he was reading, _...can be challenged only once in a sayian's lifetime. The challenger has up to one year to prepare after the challenge has been issued. Any means deemed necessary will be granted..._

Kakarott panted, looking over his opponent with a critical eye. Since Vegeta had returned from his mission, they had daily spars. It was now nearing three weeks. It cut into his daily routine. He had to cut his spa time, and his fingernails and tail were beginning to show it, but he wouldn't give up the experience. Yes, the prince was taking it easy on him, but the other was actually sweating. Sweating! Had he really been able to last long enough against the prince to give him a real work out? True, they weren't using ki blasts: not with the slave in the room. The concubine's emotions briefly nagged him at that; neither of them should have been giving a fuck if the slave were hurt or killed.

Vegeta glanced over at the slave and snorted as he let his concubine take a breather. It amused him to no end that the slave would want to read. The futility of it was sort of sad. No matter how much knowledge the slave gained, it would still be a slave. The prince shook his head at his own musing, turning back, "Come," he told Kakarott.

Kakarott grit his teeth and stood, moving into a defensive stance. He didn't have the energy to go chasing the prince around the arena after hours of training. If Vegeta wished to continue this fight, then the prince was going to have to carry it to him.

Vegeta nodded in understanding, phasing out directly after. Kakarott ducked and rolled. Someone moving that fast was making a body hit or grab. Changing his location vertically meant he was no longer there when Vegeta brought his arms together. He kicked up with a heel strike from his possession on the floor, catching his prince in the gut....

...and clipping his tail. Kakarott gasped as he tried to pull the strike, but it was too late. There was a shriek, and then a heavy thud as Vegeta's body crashed into the floor, the sound of the prince's labored, pain filled breathing filled the room.

Gohan's attention jerked away from the book of protocols he had been reading as the shriek filled the room. Even the Vegeta he knew would never make such a sound. He set the book aside and was in motion as the prince sat up with a ki attack lighting his fingertip, aimed at the concubine's forehead. These last six weeks had been put to good use: Gohan was now able to move much quicker in this environment.

Kakarott closed his eyes and waited for the blast to come. It never hit him. Instead his body was shoved forcefully across the flooring out of its way, and he heard the slave's grunt of pain. Kakarott opened his eyes, taking in the scene before him, "You would dare interfere with my judgment?" Vegeta's voice was cold as he directed a new ki attack from where he sat on the floor at the slave's bowed head. The slave was cradling an injured hand; Kakarott was surprised the appendage was still attached, until the other moved it slightly, and he could see the hole through it. It would have been better if it had just been blasted off. It was useless now, and slaves were allowed the benefit of regeneration tanks only rarely.

Gohan looked up. If he were going to die anyway, keeping his head bowed was pointless. He didn't know what to say to the prince's question. Yes, he would dare interfere? If the prince did not understand what his rash actions against his concubine might have meant, then someone had to step in. Gohan wouldn't let Vegeta kill one of the most important people in the prince's regimented life.

Vegeta's ki lessened at the look he received from the slave. The slave hadn't done this for Kakarott's benefit, but his. He dropped his hand and looked over at his concubine. He shuddered as he realized he had almost taken the sayian's head off for an injury that could easily be healed by a regeneration tank. The emptiness he felt fill him at the thought was paralyzing.

The fingers of Gohan's injured hand began to tingle, which shocked him; it had gone numb as soon as the ki blast had gone through it. He had not regretted the loss of his hand if it meant Kakarott was still alive. He hissed, looking down at it, and his eyes grew wide. It was already healing? He knew sayians healed faster than humans, and recovered from some pretty amazing injuries, but a hole _through_ the hand? Without a senzu?

"Stop whining over the loss of your hand slave. You should be happy you still have your head," Vegeta said as he rolled to his knees. His tail refused to tighten around his waist; it was definitely fractured, if not broken. He wasn't certain how affected his balance was going to be, so he was taking it one step at a time.

"I-I don't think I've lost it, your Highness," Gohan said, his amazement loosing his tongue. It still tingled, and showed silver to his other sight. Was this yet another side affect of the Elder's mystic training? His life force had certainly grown stronger, and he hadn't been using much of it here. Maybe there was a reservoir in his system somewhere, and it came to his aid when needed? Was this something that would still happen if he had full use of his ki?

Kakarott didn't move during the exchange between the slave and his prince. The slave had brought this on himself, and the concubine was not certain if there was anything that could be done to reverse Vegeta's judgment. So he was increasingly astounded as his prince brought his hand down without firing the second shot. They were discussing something quietly enough he could not hear. Was the slave that stupid? Or that brave? 'Stupid,' he decided as the slave reached his injured hand for the prince's damaged tail. He moved to intercept the other, fearing he wasn't going to be fast enough. He stopped mere inches from grabbing the slave's wrist as he heard his prince purr in pleasure.

It was a matter of reacting rather than thinking. Gohan couldn't recall consciously thinking about reaching for Vegeta's tail: just a visual image of remembrance when Dende would heal someone one moment, and then it was setting in his palm the next. He couldn't close his fingers around it, but he slid it until something in the life energy flow halted his hand.

The slave had lost his mind; that was Vegeta's conclusion as the other reached its hand out towards his tail. His immediate reaction to backhand the other for his audacity stilled as his tail started to tingle, "What," oh gods, it felt so _gooood_. Having ki-enhanced hands run up the fur of his tail felt good, but this was different; like tiny vibrations _under_ his skin.

"Healing," Gohan whispered in amazement, before turning his gaze up to the prince's face.

The tip of Vegeta's tail twitched, which was much better than what it had been doing. Vegeta's eyes narrowed, "You have a lot of strange abilities for a sayian," he said, peering closely at the other.

Gohan gulped and pulled his hand away as the prince wrapped his tail around his waist. "I swear this is the first time this has happened, your Highness." This was it, the moment he had been dreading had finally arrived. People were going to start asking questions, and he wasn't going to answer them. Even if he did answer them, he seriously doubted he would be believed.

"He's not completely sayian, your Highness," Kakarott spoke up from where he kneeled on the floor.

Gohan cringed but couldn't fault the other for telling what he knew of the truth, and he wished he had had the foresight of keeping his mouth shut when he had first arrived. It has just been so foreign and confusing at the time.

Vegeta turned an accusing gaze to the concubine, "You knew this, and chose not to tell me?"

Kakarott prostrated himself on the floor, "My most humble apologies, Prince Vegeta," he said, "For my impudence in thinking the knowledge was not of value."

Vegeta grunted, and turned his attention back to the slave, who was now in the same position as the concubine. If the concubine had told him, he would not have found it of interest until now, "Well, slave? What else are you?"

Gohan's brain searched frantically for an answer that would not direct the sayians' attention to Earth. With his father here on Vegeta-sei, the planet had no hero to protect it from invaders with as much strength as a sayian army. There were also the dragon balls to be concerned about. He had no idea what wishes a warrior race would use them for. He gasped as his hair was pulled roughly to get him to look up, "Well?"

"Demon, your Highness" the answer flew out of his mouth in his panic, surprising even him. He tried not to sigh in relief. Demons popped up where ever they were summoned, some of them being left in this realm of existence for various reasons. His grandfather had been called to Earth, and killed his summoner before he could be sent back. He had not become known as the Ox King until long after Master Roshi had beat him into submission, and he had become used to his new life on Earth, settling down with a human wife; the human grandmother Gohan had never met.

Vegeta sneered, "You lie. There is no such thing," watching the slave closely for its reaction. Nothing in the slave's countenance changed at his statement. Not the pride of someone justified in their honesty, nor the search for a better answer from a liar. The answer was true, but not complete. As impossible as the answer sounded, the slave believed it.

Gohan said nothing. Changing his answer now for whatever reasons would be bad. "Which parent?" Vegeta asked, wondering if it would be this easy to catch the slave in its lie.

"Mother, your Highness" Gohan answered honestly, hoping that by keeping it simple, he could remember his answers if ever asked again.

Vegeta grunted, satisfied with the answer. A female sayian would have killed the child of such a union. Or killed herself if it had been rape. "Your father?" he asked shrewdly.

Gohan stiffened, not being able to help looking over at Kakarott. He yelped as his clavicle piercing was twisted, "His name was Goku, your Highness" Gohan panted.

Vegeta sneered, "That's not a sayian name."

"It was the name I knew him as, your Highness. He died when I was very young," Gohan answered honestly.

"Your mother?" Vegeta asked.

"Killed by another demon," Gohan said, 'Buu could be considered a demon, right? Oh, shit...was Buu still waiting to be hatched on Earth in this time line?' That thought started a whole chain of thoughts about all of the enemies Earth and the Universe had been witness to over the years. Again he glanced at Kakarott. This sayian was nowhere near approaching the level of super sayian three, nor was he getting the special training that had aided him in creating the Genki Dama that had been required to defeat Buu.

The answered disturbed the slave greatly; even Kakarott could sense that from where he still knelt with his head down on the floor. The breathing, the slight body twitches, the smell, and mostly, his failure to address the prince by a title.

Vegeta let the slave's mistake of not addressing him correctly go this once. These questions were apparently bringing up very distressing memories that bothered it. "So, what other strange abilities did your mother pass onto you?" Vegeta asked, finally getting to his real question.

"I-I can sense ki...but anyone can learn to do it, your Highness," Gohan said quickly.

"And this healing?" Vegeta asked, picking up the slave's hand. The hole was showing true evidence of closing up now.

"I do not know, your Highness. I think it may have been my body didn't mind sharing its life force," Gohan answered, "Since it is not being called upon to fuel my ki."

"You mean chi?" Vegeta asked.

"I am not familiar with the term, your Highness," Gohan answered honestly.

Vegeta shrugged before he stood. "You will teach me, this ki sensing ability," he commanded.

"Yes, your Highness," Gohan said, moving to sit on the floor. He was somewhat confused as the prince walked away from him.

"You will be here the same time tomorrow for this," Vegeta said before he turned his back on the slave and the concubine. There was much to think over, and he was still upset with Kakarott for his inexperienced strike.

"Yes, your Highness," Gohan said just before the doors closed behind the prince's back. He turned to look at the concubine and cried out as his hair was used to pull him flat to the floor, "You are becoming more of his pet than his slave," Kakarott hissed in his face with malice.

"Sir! I would never knowingly come between you and the prince!" Gohan said in a rush. He didn't need Kakarott seeing him as a potential threat or enemy.

Kakarott gave the slave's head another good shake before letting him go, and standing, "I am ready to go, slave."

Gohan rolled to his knees before standing to go get the books and his collar. His shoulders slumped as Kakarott jerked on his leash as hard has he had during the first week. 'Great!' He looked down at the floor as he followed behind the concubine towards their room.

Gohan had an uneasy feeling 'their room' was going to become a point of contention now. The other concubines had been doing a poor job of hiding tart remarks about how Kakarott apparently wasn't enough for the prince all by himself: that he had to have a slave help him. Even Kakarott's poorly hid retorts that he was still the one being requested hadn't stopped them from making their nasty insinuations.

Gohan got a bad feeling about the way the door was slammed behind them as they entered the concubine's quarters. He'd feel better if Kakarott even chose to talk harshly to him. This stone cold treatment wasn't comforting.

Being dragged directly to the shower room was somewhat expected; the concubine had quite a workout with the prince today before things had gone wrong. He wasn't expecting the concubine to push him down on his knees, and hook his clavicle piercing into one of small recesses in the wall. He cringed as his collar was removed, the sound of the leash continuing to jingle long after the collar had hit the floor was weird...until he heard it swinging through the air before it bit into his shoulder and ran down his back, "AAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!"

The slave's scream covered up the sound of the material of its shirt ripping. Kakarott swung the leash at the slave's now exposed back again, watching with spiteful pleasure as the metal bit into the slave's skin, tearing open another long, bloody gash. The second strike was able to go through the waistline of the pants also, exposing its buttock to him as well.

Gohan tensed and jerked, screaming again as the leash laid into him a third time. "I'M SORRY!" he screamed just before the fourth strike came at him horizontally, tearing into his right side. He was sorry he was here. He was sorry the prince was taking such an unsolicited interest in him. He was sorry he was developing all these strange, seemingly useful abilities....

Kakarott took the couple of steps necessary to be next to the slave before shoving on the back of its head, forcing its forehead into the wall, "You don't even know what to be sorry for, do you," he hissed as the other cried out, clutching at the tiles of the wall. The pathetic dazed look he received from it infuriated him even more. He stepped back and swung the leash twice in a criss-cross over its back, the ends of the strikes cutting into the slave's calves.

He threw the leash down into a bloody heap on the floor as the slave denied him a sixth scream from his last strike. He spat at its back as he watched its shoulders shake, knowing the other was crying its ever-ready, overly emotional tears. He showered quickly, not wanting to spend any more time with it than he had too. He unhooked its piercing before he left, and sneered as it did nothing other than to fall to the wet floor in a pathetically miserable pile.

Gohan curled up on himself after the concubine had left. He missed his wife, and his daughter. Gods, he missed everyone he knew on Earth! Even Oolong would have brought a smile to his face. The marks on his back weren't so terrible as the ones in his heart. He had truly believed he had made a friend; now he knew there could never be such a thing between him and the concubine. The concubine had only been exceedingly tolerant and lenient of his behavior up until now. Obviously Kakarott was not going to let the charade continue.

His pathetic, unmanly whimpers had stopped by the time the concubine came in and tossed some food in his direction, "The Prince called Rue to him this evening," he addressed the other as he observed how only the shallowest parts of the strikes were beginning to close up.

Gohan shuddered, "I am sorry," he whispered from his place on the floor.

Kakarott wasn't certain what he was expecting when he told the slave about the nights turn of events. He grunted in confusion at his own motives, "Eat, get showered. The prince wants you to 'train' him tomorrow, you'll need your rest," he said to it before he left the damp room.

Gohan picked himself off the floor and retrieved the bread and fruit from where it lay and ate quickly. Then he grabbed his collar and tossed it near the entry of the shower before standing. He turned the water on and hissed as he stood in the spray and stripped the clothes the rest of the way from his body. He picked the leash up on his way back and washed it off, dropping it to the floor in a mound once it had been rinsed clean.

He ran soap as best he could over his body. The water ran pink for quite some time before it cleared. Gohan turned the water towards the area he had been laying, washing it down the drain. He reached for a towel and dried the front half of his body first, before attempting to dry his back. He gave up moments later, going back for his bloody and torn clothes, throwing them down the trash shoot.

He limped into the bedroom and stretched his wet towel over the cot before laying out on it, in order to let his back air-dry. He was asleep by the time Kakarott turned his reading light off.

~o0o~~o0o~

  
  


 


	5. Chapter 4

##  _Idomu_

### By [Macha ](mailto:bynp@comcast.net)

### Chapter 4

 

Pan grunted from her crouch on the floor. Two months of training with Vegeta, and she still hadn't achieved a noticeable amount of stamina, "Vegeta, I need a break...Please!" She whined to the older sayian.

"Your father won't be getting breaks when he begs for them," Vegeta replied, sending a ki blast in the brat's direction.

Goten cringed as he observed the amount of effort his niece had to go through in order just to keep up, but he didn't feel sorry for her...just slightly amazed. Vegeta had never trained him or Trunks this hard, and yet he had always thought the sayian had been pushing them too hard as children. Now he knew better.

Pan was receiving no quarter from the prince until she failed with exhaustion. She had only tried to fake it once, and the punishment for that had been severe enough she hadn't done it a second time. Even tears would not move the prince to let up on her. She thought her father had been harsh on her...now she missed his disappointed face.

She hadn't thought there could be a punishment worse than grounding and manual labor. When her mother had told her that she and her grandfather were going to hand her over to Vegeta for training, she had thought they were insane to think of it as a punishment. Oh, how hindsight was 20/20.

She dodged another ki blast, landing flat out on the floor, unable to push her self up. She tried and failed several times. Pan snarled and clutched at his foot as it nudged her in her bruised ribs, "You sadistic bastard," she growled up at him.

She yelped as Vegeta reached down and pulled her up to face him by her shirtfront, "You know nothing of hurt, little one," he told her with a calmness that was chilling.

"I miss my father," she whispered quietly, uncertain why that had been her response, but knowing it was true all the same. She was slightly amazed when Vegeta didn't mock her any more, just gently set her back on the floor to crumble into an exhausted heap as he left the G.R.

Trunks snorted from the window he had been using to observe 'the punishment', "Took her long enough," he said to his friend.

Goten nodded, "Yeah, but if she had said it any sooner, I don't think it would have been quite as heart felt," he responded to Trunks as he let go of the energy he was using in order to levitate up to the portal window.

~o0o~~o0o~

Gohan hissed as he woke. He jerked slightly before settling back down, "They didn't heal over night," the concubine's voice came from behind him, something being soothed over his lashes. Gohan clawed at the edge of the cot as he hissed again.

Kakarott examined the wounds closely, as he placed a healing salve on them. They certainly weren't as deep as they should have been if the slave was to keep par with his fellow ki depraved class, but after having witnessed the hole closing in its hand the day before, the progress was comparatively slow. The concubine laid linen strips of cloth over the wounds after he had treated them.

Gohan wondered at this bizarre behavior. He had been certain Kakarott was going to start treating him as he thought appropriate to a slave's station, but the tending of wounds could not be considered a part of that. If Kakarott had seen fit to have them dressed, someone in his station should have brought a servant in to do the task; not lowered himself to do the chore.

"I was scared," Gohan kept his mouth shut, "And then I got angry at you, for scaring me. And then I was angry with myself for even being concerned for you," Kakarott said, "The other concubines are right; Vegeta wishes you to be with me in his presence too often," there was that hint of the malice Gohan had witnessed on the floor of the training room the day before.

Gohan swallowed, not knowing how to answer other than he already had; he would not willingly come between the concubine and the prince. "I have no choice but to be there if he orders it," he finally whispered to the concubine.

"Don't lie to me. I know you like what he does to you...what he makes me do to you," Kakarott said quietly as he got off the edge of the cot.

"Makes?" Gohan asked; his voice muffled by the pillow. He had truly thought the concubine enjoyed doing things to him. As a matter of fact, he thought it had been more of a task on the other's part to keep his hands off of him.

Kakarott smiled sadly, "Okay, 'lets' me do to you."

"But you do not feel as strongly for me as you do the prince," Gohan falsely added jealousy to his response.

"Of course not, you are a slave," Kakarott said with some pride.

"It's more than that," Gohan said boldly. Someone had to wake these two up to what was going on between them. He yelped as his hair was used to pull his head off of the pillow.

"Do not attempt to tell me how I feel," Kakarott whispered harshly, "You are nothing. You know nothing."

"The-the prince feels the same!" Gohan said quickly, "I am nothing but a slave to him. He doesn't get excited to see me. His pleasure in me being there is watching how you interact with me!"

"He's testing me?" Kakarott said with some concern, dropping the slave's head.

"No, he's observing you," Gohan said. Why did it have to be so difficult to explain? Why couldn't Kakarott just see the emotions the prince was poorly hiding?

"I don't get it," Kakarott stated.

"Just...just pay attention next time. Without letting him know you are," Gohan suggested.

Kakarott grunted, wondering why he was foolishly listening to a slave's advice. It was making things sound as though...impossible, "Stay down, I have to tape the strips in place," Kakarott said before he left the room.

Gohan sighed. He hadn't explained it the way he had wanted to. Trying to drop these heavy hints wasn't working. The two of them were going to drive him to the point he lost it, and just said it. He held still as the concubine sat back on the edge of the cot, and started tearing strips of tape up, and pressing them onto his skin.

Gohan sat up as the concubine got up, "There are several hours...I just hope they close up before we see him," Kakarott also hoped the prince would show him at least some amount of forgiveness. Jealousy was not a strong enough word to express how he felt when he thought about Rue in Vegeta's bed. He wasn't even certain how he was going to react upon seeing her this morning. The sly, knowing looks the other concubines had given him as the servant had left after delivering the prince's message....

Gohan nodded. Kakarott could get in serious trouble for damaging the prince's property. The concubine certainly hadn't been thinking beyond the moment last night. He walked to the closet and pulled a plain shirt on over his head, before donning some pants. He lifted his head obediently when the concubine brought the collar over. It was strange how this had become something almost normal to him...Gohan had a difficult time even thinking about leaving the room without it on now.

Kakarott grabbed the leash, shuddering with the memory...he sighed, and opened the door. His eyes went immediately to Rue's place, which was still empty. He walked into unexpected silence from the remaining concubines. There was tenseness in the room where he had been expecting gloating, "Where is she?" he asked, his unease getting the better of him. If she had spent the whole night with the prince....

"Rumor is, she's gracing a regeneration tank with her presence this morning," Yerba answered solemnly.

Both Kakarott and Gohan started at this bit of information. Vegeta wasn't known for being rough with his concubines. He had every right to be...he just usually wasn't.

Breakfast was a silent affair. Everyone letting their thoughts consume their energy while they consumed their food.

They all shifted as Parral shoved his plate away, "I am going to go and see her," he said quietly. Everyone nodded their heads as they either finished up quickly, or pressed their plates away also.

There were several incredulous looks directed their way as the group walked silently down the halls of the palace. Seeing all the prince's concubines in one crowd was unusual; the fact they were silent even more so. Kakarott and Gohan brought up the rear of the group as Parral led the way.

The attendant in the medical wing bowed and let them all in, "She's in tank 124," was all he said. Once again, Parral took the lead.

More of the tanks were empty than were full as they wound their way to the one they were looking for. Yerba gasped and ran forward as the one they were in search of came in sight.

By the time the rest of them had caught up, she had her fingers pressed against the glass of the tank, and Rue was matching her hold. The concubine's undamaged side of her mouth lifted in a sad smile, "Oh, sweetie, what did he do to you?" Yerba asked with tears in her eyes as she typed the same question into the LCD screen in the tank's window.

Gohan's back tingled in sympathy at the damage the concubine had obviously taken. He watched as Rue eyed the group with surprise. The look turned to a glare as her one open eye settled on Kakarott. She made an obscene gesture and then pointed back the way they had come.

Kakarott nodded sadly, "I am sorry," he said before he turned to go. The look Rue gave him for his apology spoke volumes of how worthless she deemed it.

They were just leaving as several stretchers were headed into the medical wing. Every one of the sayians sporting armor, broken bones, and blood. One of them actually reached for Kakarott's hand as they passed, "He's lost it," and Gohan suddenly realized it was Radditz that addressed the concubine. Kakarott waited for his brother's bloody hand to slip from its grasp as the emergency team continued on before turning down the hall at a run, Gohan being forced to follow.

Gohan had a damn good idea who 'he' was, and wondered why he hadn't felt the prince's ki spike, since he was causing so much obvious destruction. He was barely able to stop Kakarott from entering the training arena as explosions were heard outside the thick doors, "Stop!" he yelled, dragging Kakarott back by the leash. Those energy attacks weren't emitting from the prince, but were from soldiers trying to fend him off.

"He...he doesn't need to be doing this!" Kakarott turned on him.

"He's doing this because of yesterday. He almost killed you, and he isn't dealing with it well. You step in there without some sort of warning, and you're going to scare him again!" Gohan stated in a rush.

"What do I do?" Kakarott asked; the logic making him forget it was a mere slave addressing him. They both stepped to the side as the doors opened, another emergency team leaving as quickly as possible.

Gohan pressed the concubine further out of the way of the doors, and then pressed on his shoulders until the other sat down, "Breathe," he stated, looking the concubine in the eyes.

Kakarott's panicked panting slowed as he looked into the slave's composed eyes, "Close your eyes, and reach for him," Gohan coached. He knew his father and Vegeta had some sort of connection on Earth. It had become even more apparent after their potara fusion...but it had been there before. Vegeta had always had a sense of when his father was in trouble. Maybe they had something similar here.

Kakarott closed his eyes, directing his thoughts towards his prince. He didn't know what else to do.

The explosions stopped. The doors opened moments later with several damaged, but able sayians filing out, "GET OUT!" Gohan heard Vegeta's voice herding them away. Seconds later, Vegeta was at the door: his anger surrounding him like a halo. He pulled Kakarott up from his sitting position on the floor by his shirtfront and dragged the concubine, who had not let go of the leash, into the training room. Gohan stumbled forward, the doors barely missing his feet as they closed.

Vegeta growled as he fisted his bloody hands in his concubine's clothing. He pulled the other closer to him, shoving his nose to the other's neck and breathing in deep.

Kakarott dropped the leash in order to run his hands soothingly over Vegeta's back, and along his tail, "I am here," was all he was able to say before the prince was tearing his clothing apart, kissing and biting the concubine's exposed skin savagely.

Gohan settled away from the other two as quietly as possible. He took in the damage the room had taken. Ki scorches marred the walls, ceiling and flooring. Blood splattered everywhere, bits and pieces of armor scattered, shreds of fabric: quite a few of those articles and fragments Vegeta's. Physical testaments to the tempest of the prince's emotions.

He turned his attention back to the other two as Vegeta spoke, "You will become stronger," he growled. The prince had his forehead pressed to the concubine's, glaring directly into the other's eyes as he instructed the other. Kakarott barely gave a nod in acknowledgement before the prince was tearing into him once again.

Gohan witnessed as the prince took the concubine harshly. There was desperateness about the act the slave could not pinpoint. Vegeta wasn't touching so much as mauling. Where Gohan had seen sex between these two, this was fucking: violent, swift. The concubine's calls were desperate also: high, needing, and in a fascinating way, welcoming.

Vegeta moved his mouth to the other side of the Kakarott's neck as he continued to thrust into his concubine, and Gohan was able to see the damage left behind. The prince had sucked to the point blood welled from the bruised flesh. The concubine whined and leaned his cheek onto the back of the prince's head as he wrapped his legs around his aggressor's hips, and surrounded him protectively with his arms, "Oujisama, I will always be here," he whispered, the words sticking in odd places as the prince continued to abuse his body.

Vegeta stilled, panting harshly, "You almost weren't yesterday," he growled back, his aura still angry and flaring.

Kakarott couldn't deny this; his death had truly been close. Instead he placed his palms on either side of the prince's face and turned Vegeta's head until he could kiss the other's lips soothingly. The joining became much more controlled and deliberate after.

Kakarott leaned his head back to the floor, staring up at the ceiling as he moaned. He clutched at Vegeta's back as he survived the remainder of the storm. Vegeta lifted his torso away from the other at the last moment possible, roaring his climax. The shockwaves from the howl alone lifted and tossed around the loose debris on the floor. Gohan gasped as the prince's eyes flickered teal; he hadn't realized the other was so close to ascension.

There was a long period of stillness and random kisses that Gohan did not dare interfere. He shifted uncomfortably as the decision was taken out of his hands, "Someone comes," he stated, having felt an large energy grow closer to their location. He stood and began taking his clothes off; even his plain linen clothing would be better for the concubine than the rags Kakarott now wore.

Vegeta nuzzled into Kakarott's neck once more, breathing deeply before he stood, helping the concubine to his feet. The prince intentionally turned his back, adjusting his damaged garments, as Kakarott started stripping what remained of his clothing off. The concubine took the attire Gohan handed to him without a word. Vegeta picked up his scouter and read the settings, "It's my father," he stated without much emotion. He should have known a tantrum of this size would reach the king's attention at some time.

Once Kakarott had dressed he turned to Gohan, "Turn," he demanded, and started taking the bandages off of the slave's back. The prince arched one eyebrow in curiosity at the still obvious lash marks on the slave. Once the concubine had added the bandages to the rags on the floor Vegeta turned the pile to ash with a quick low ki blast.

The smoke had barely dissipated when the doors opened, allowing the King and an entourage in, "Vegeta," the King stated as he looked around the mess of the training facility, barely acknowledging the presence of the concubine and slave.

"Father," the prince replied, not certain what was to happen.

"Care to tell me what this was about?" the King asked; his son was a bloody mess, but none of it was from any apparent injuries of his own.

"It has been settled," Vegeta said, eyes shifting ever so slightly to the two prostrated on the floor.

The king took a quick glance, noticing the lashes on the naked slave's back, "Next time, take it out on the responsible party, Vegeta. I do not enjoy being called out of council meetings to be asked to control my adult son," was all he said as he turned back the way he had come, the group of elites with him quickly following.

Vegeta waited until the doors closed, "Get up. Go to my quarters. We will train there," he instructed the other two while pointedly glaring into one of the cameras.

Kakarott and Gohan stood. They didn't ask questions as they left, heading one direction, as the prince went in another. The concubine kept pulling the neckline of the shirt he wore up when ever they would pass other groups in the hallways, and Gohan had to wonder why. Kakarott usually wore the marks Vegeta gave him with some pride, although these were certainly worse than usual.

Someone had apparently taken the hint, and by the time Vegeta reached the surveillance room, it was deserted. He took the disk of the morning's events, and replaced it with a new one. Second hand information could only be called rumor. It was best his father never saw what had happened with his own eyes.

Vegeta molded the substance of the disk into a ball as he strode down the hallways to his quarters. He knew what he had to do, and the decision was not making him happy. He'd put it off for as long as possible, but the day was close where he wouldn't remember himself. It had taken every amount of whatever will power he'd still had not to give the concubine mating marks in the training room.

Kakarott and Gohan settled as best they could in the prince's chambers as they waited for Vegeta to arrive. Usually the concubine would have already stripped naked and had the both of them waiting for the prince in his bedroom. It was very strange not to be here for something other than sex. So Kakarott sat on the edge of a plush chair, his body tense, with the slave kneeling on a rug beside him.

Vegeta sent what remained of the surveillance data up in a poof of smoke before he reached to open his door. His lips set into a firm line as he first took note of Kakarott and the slave. The prince shook his head as he strode through his welcoming room, and into his bedchamber.

Kakarott stood hesitantly, not knowing if he were to follow or not. He was half way to the door, the slave following him, when Vegeta came out, changed into something cleaner and the plainest set of clothing he owned draped over one arm. "Here," Vegeta passed the items to Kakarott, who in turn passed them to Gohan.

Vegeta scowled as the slave started to put the clothes on, and reached over to undo the collar, "Don't think your station has changed," he said as the slave jerked to a halt at the touch.

Gohan nodded, "Yes, your Highness," he said, dropping his head slightly before he returned to dressing himself. He actually felt more naked without the collar in the prince's presence than when he had no clothing on.

Vegeta eyed the lash marks as the slave turned at an angle to make them noticeable, and turned his gaze to the concubine. Kakarott paled at the prince's scrutiny, but didn't know how to explain the emotions he had been feeling when he had laid the leash into the slave's back. Thankfully it didn't seem as though the prince was going to press him for answers.

Gohan cleared his throat to get their attention, hoping he wouldn't be beaten for his in sub ordinance. "My pardon, your Highness," Gohan said, ducking his head again.

Vegeta sneered. This was going to be very different. He had never thought he would wish to learn something from someone in a slave's position. "Well?"

Gohan took a seat on the floor. He almost laughed as the other two stayed standing, but knew that would not help matters, "I-I guess, I need to know how you meditate..." Gohan began, "I usually do so with some contact with the ground, in a position as comfortable as possible."

Vegeta grunted before taking a seat on the floor, mirroring the slave's position. As Kakarott began to sit in the chair, Vegeta waved him to the floor, "I want you to learn this also," and the concubine joined the other two on the floor.

Gohan closed his eyes, in order to think more clearly. On Earth, Vegeta had been so determined to be independent of the Z fighters he had learned this on his own. It had also been so long, and Gohan had been so young, when he had first learned this, he wasn't very certain what the best approach was going to be to start.

He started as he heard Vegeta growl in impatience, "First, you have to become aware of your own ki, your Highness," Gohan said. He explained further, "Your ki will be the best gauge as to whether someone's ki is higher than yours or not," he sighed as the prince scowled at him for insinuating someone may have a higher ki level than his, "Okay...your ki is going to blind you to others, if you can't look past it. In order to look past it you have to know what to look through." He could tell he still wasn't making sense. He sighed, looking for an example.

Gohan smiled as he stood and took a couple of candles from their places. He almost dropped them at the looks he was receiving when he turned around. He fretted a moment before scowling, "This is going to be much easier if I don't have to worry about my head being blown off at any second," he stated boldly, "I am going to do my best, but the ideas and ways of training are going to be different..."

Vegeta crossed his arms, still scowling. He finally sighed, "Fine. _While_ training some of the formalities may be overlooked. If I catch you being too familiar after training, you will be punished," the prince stated.

Gohan nodded as he moved to retake his seat. He looked sadly at the wicks for a moment, "Will one of you please light them for me?" he asked.

Kakarott reached for one wick and lit it, while the prince showed off and lit the other without moving. Gohan tried not to smile at the very Vegeta like gesture, "Okay," he said, picking them up. He started lifting one towards Vegeta's face, but the prince caught his wrist before he got close enough to show him what it was he wanted the other to see.

"What are you doing?" Vegeta asked.

"This one represents your ki," Gohan said, as though it was obvious. Vegeta grunted and sneered. His ki being compared to that of a candle was ridiculous, but he let the slave's hand go, and Gohan moved the candle until the wick was even with the prince's eyes, and wax actually touched his nose.

"Get that thing out of my face," Vegeta growled, but didn't move to remove the object himself.

"Just...one moment more," Gohan said, holding the other candle to Kakarott's face in a like manner. "Okay, can you see the other candle?" he addressed both of them.

"How can I see it, when the light from this one is blinding me?" Kakarott asked in annoyance, "Oh..." he stated at his own words.

The prince grunted his understanding of what the slave was getting at, and Gohan smiled, pulling the candles away. He stretched over and put them on a table top before turning back to the other two, "I know your kis are much stronger than candle flames. So, imagine a torch, or even a bonfire blinding you from every other light that might be in the same area as you."

Both the prince and the concubine nodded, "And that is why it is necessary for you to learn your own ki intimately before you'll be able to see other's."

"I can manipulate my ki into attacks. I'd call that 'knowing' my ki," Vegeta stated.

Gohan nodded, "And can you sense when another's ki attack is heading towards your back?" he asked.

"Of course!" Vegeta scoffed.

"So, you _can_ sense another's ki in battle situations. Unfortunately, battle kis are rarely the readings you find when people are walking around every day. Their normal kis are not going to be such an obvious beacon," Gohan warned, "Does that make sense?" he asked.

He waited, giving the others enough time to process what he had just said before continuing at their nods, "May I get your scouter, please?" Gohan asked the prince.

Vegeta nodded and Gohan stood to go to the prince's armor stand, taking the scouter off of the dummy's head, and returned, handing it towards Vegeta, "I'll want you to use it," he instructed, and Vegeta fitted the scouter over his head before switching it on. "Okay, Kakarott," Gohan turned to the other, "I want you to get angry."

The concubine looked at the slave like he was out of his mind, "How's that going to help?" he asked.

Gohan sneered at him intentionally, "Just remember what you were feeling last night..." the scouter blipped as his actions drew out the desired affect and the concubine started to growl.

Gohan wiped the look from his face, turning expectantly back to Vegeta, "Well?"

"His ki spiked," Vegeta said, wondering why the slave wanted him to acknowledge something so obvious.

"And you can raise your ki when needed?" Gohan continued.

"Of course," Vegeta stated.

"Show me," Gohan requested.

Vegeta sighed, not knowing what was so important about this exercise but did it any way. The scouter beeped and started throwing out readings, "Okay?" Vegeta asked, before settling back down.

Gohan nodded, "Now, can you lower your ki at will? Below your normal level?"

"What?!" the prince asked, "Why would I wish to do that?"

"Believe me, it is of great use," Gohan assured him, "If everyone has these scouters, imagine how useful it would be in order to lower your ki until it could not be detected."

"I have no reason to hide," the prince stated proudly.

"I am not saying you need to hide. Just bluff?" Gohan asked.

Vegeta smirked at the idea. Having an over confident opponent was always an advantage, "Okay. How do I lower my ki?"

Gohan turned to Kakarott, "Can you meditate?" he asked.

Kakarott shrugged. He'd had little time to himself the past two, almost three, months. His schedule had been greatly disrupted by the addition of the slave to his everyday life, "It may take a moment..." he said before he closed his eyes. He started by breathing in slowly through his nose, and exhaling through his mouth. He pictured his father's lab, and in the lab, a slowly simmering beaker with green liquid in it. Kakarott knew it was a strange thing to picture when trying to slow one's mind, but it worked for him.

Gohan waited until he saw the concubine's shoulders relax, "Now, do you know how to slow your heart?" he asked. The concubine nodded without opening his eyes. Everyone had to learn how to slow their hearts for long-range space travel. "Okay, instead of focusing on the muscle of your heart, I want you to focus on your energy...find that place you reach for when you form ki blasts..."

Kakarott grimaced...the thing the slave was asking him to do...it had been so long since he'd had to think about where his energy came from. He found himself focusing on the flame being emitted from the burner below the beaker. The concubine's face smoothed out as he imagined reaching for the dial of the burner, turning it down...

Vegeta's scouter blipped, indicating a drop of his concubine's ki, "It's working," the prince said.

Kakarott turned the image of the flame down further, and further...

Vegeta's scouter beeped in quick succession, finally flashing a warning that someone's ki had become critical, "Kakarott, stop," he hissed in concern.

The concubine did as asked, the flame now only a blue glow in his mind's eye. "Okay, now, keep your energy level there, and open your eyes," Gohan instructed.

As soon as Kakarott opened his eyes, the scouter started flashing new readings at the prince, "You're energy has gone back to what it was," Vegeta stated when it stopped.

They all sighed, "Okay...I guess this is where you'll have to start practicing," he told the concubine before turning to Vegeta, "Your turn, your Highness," Gohan said.

Vegeta nodded, closing his eyes...if his concubine could do at least that much, he shouldn't have a problem...

....Except for the scouter beeping at him when he finally got control over his ki to lower it. He growled as he took the device off, handing it to the concubine. The prince closed his eyes and started the exercise again.

The device started flashing data, and Kakarott put it on hurriedly, "Okay...your Highness, you've reached critical," Kakarott said in warning, and the prince stopped. He didn't wait for the slave to tell him to open his eyes. Instead he did so slowly, trying to keep his ki under control as he once again became aware of his surroundings.

He smirked in triumph, as the scouter did not indicate any alterations to its readings. "So far, so good," he said to the slave in whisper, not realizing he was doing so.

Gohan smiled at the achievement, "Okay...now, close your eyes again. You remember how you said you could detect ki blasts when they were coming at your back?" he asked the prince. He continued when the prince nodded, "Now, almost everyone's ki is a potential threat in the state you are currently in. Expand your awareness to find the 'threats'," Gohan instructed.

It took a little while for Vegeta to put the slave's instructions to work. Suddenly he growled and shifted back, opening his eyes to see his concubine's concerned face. The scouter started flashing and beeping at the quick increase of the prince's ki. Gohan smiled, "You felt Kakarott," he said calmly, "With your ki that low, you could 'see' him."

Vegeta grunted, gaining his composure back. It had been more like looking at a sun directly from the cockpit of a space pod that was about to crash into it. He looked wearily at the slave, "And you do this all the time?" he wasn't certain this technique was worth learning....

Gohan shrugged, "It's second nature now," he commented, "And it really does have its uses," he said, waiting to see if the prince wanted to continue.

Vegeta frowned and then sighed, nodding his head, "So, what do we do now?"

Gohan shook his head, "Now? Kakarott has to learn to keep his ki suppressed when he opens his eyes," he said, looking over at the concubine, who nodded. The concubine handed the scouter to Gohan before closing his eyes to practice.

"And you have to learn to see without reacting, your Highness," Gohan told the prince, "With enough practice from both of you, neither of you will have to continue to lower your kis. You'll be able to do this at full power," Gohan encouraged, just as Kakarott gasped, reaching a hand out while his eyes were closed.

"I can feel you; see you..." Kakarott said to the prince.

"Well, I guess you are both practicing the same thing then," Gohan said with a smile, as he closed his own eyes, planning on monitoring their progress while these two continued to train.

After a while, Gohan turned the scouter off, and the room became peacefully quiet; only their breathing and a surprised gasp every once in a while marring it.

"I can feel my father," Vegeta stated once.

To which Kakarott responded, "I can feel Radditz!" More silence following as the two of them continued to explore the new sensory they had gained.

Gohan let them continue to explore the planet as he moved farther out with some caution. He had not forgotten the incident that had happened weeks prior, and it still bothered him. He didn't bother with checking Vegeta-sei...the disturbance had been further out than Earth.

He used Namek as a stepping-stone, glad to feel that the planet was still peaceful. He took longer at Earth, knowing its inhabitants more intimately, and wanting to assure himself things were okay. His awareness was brought back to Vegeta-sei as the concubine gasped, "Who are they?"

"What?" Gohan almost screamed as he pulled his awareness back to the planet he was currently on...why had he been so careless?

"Who are they?" Kakarott asked again, "So many kis...you know some of them!" he accused, having been able to feel when the slave had stopped for some time on someone in particular.

"You...You were following me!?" Gohan asked. He had thought the other two were so engrossed in their training...wait! How did someone follow someone else's awareness?

By now Vegeta had been distracted by their interaction, "What does he speak of?" Vegeta asked. Gohan gulped, and then closed his mouth tightly. He hoped the concubine would not be able to direct Vegeta to Earth without his help.

Vegeta backhanded the slave, "You over step your bounds with your silence. I should kill you for your insolence. Tell me; what was Kakarott speaking of?" he demanded.

Even the hope he would be wished back to his own time line was not enough to get Gohan to speak of Earth in this one. He did the stupidest thing he had done on this planet so far, and reached for the prince's hand, positioning it palm open against his forehead. Kakarott reached to remove the prince's hand from the slave's forehead, "Don't...there were so many people...who were they?" he asked the slave calmly.

Gohan turned his eyes away from the concubine and stared into Vegeta's as he adjusted the prince's hand over his heart. He refused to answer, and there was no turning back. Vegeta growled and turned to his concubine, "Did these people seem as though they would be a threat to Vegeta-sei?"

Kakarott shook his head, "This ki sensing is still so new, your Highness...but, if I were to guess, no. They would pose no threat to Vegeta-sei. They barely had more ki than the slave," he said, nodding towards Gohan.

Vegeta drew his hand back from the slave's chest in order to sit more comfortably. The slave was not speaking, and would rather die than address this issue. These people Kakarott had sensed meant much to this slave. He watched the slave keenly as he asked his next question, "Was this your home world?" the shift of eyes and tensing of body were all the prince needed see to know the answer. "How far away was this planet?" Vegeta asked his concubine without turning his gaze away from the slave.

It was Kakarott's turn to gulp, "I do not know, your Highness. This is still new to me..." he said, closing his eyes again, looking for the place the slave had drawn back from.

Vegeta grunted in understanding. Distances were difficult to tell with what little experience he currently had, also. "We will hunt them. With kis as weak as theirs' it will be easy to subdue them..." Vegeta bluffed.

"NO!" Gohan gasped before he thought better of it.

Vegeta narrowed his eyes, "For one of demon and sayian heritage, you certainly care too much for people on such a far away planet..." as far as he was concerned demons were a mystical race...even if one did manage to exist on this plane of existence to breed with a sayian Vegeta doubted there were a whole planet of them.

Gohan's mind writhed with chaos. In his current state, he was too weak to do anything if the sayians did decide to attack Earth. Vegeta held all the cards; there was nothing to bargain with. Even his life was no longer available for leverage. They _knew_.

Gohan glanced at the concubine's passive features. He dreaded it wouldn't be long before Kakarott was able to confirm Earth's existence without his aid...wait, there was something Vegeta wanted badly enough, "Idomu!" Gohan hissed as he turned his focus back to the prince.

Both Kakarott's and Vegeta's eyes opened wide at the word. It wasn't a word commonly used from the old tongue. Vegeta's eyes narrowed, "What would you know of Idomu?" he asked. He had not even told Kakarott of his goal of having the concubine challenge his birth class. He had been training the concubine with the pretense that it was exercise the other needed....

"If you leave them alone, I will train Kakarott," Gohan stated.

Vegeta threw his head back and laughed, "What would a slave know of battle training? You don't even have enough power to make third class!"

Gohan's eyes narrowed dangerously, "Only because of the slave's block: fuujiru," Gohan hissed.

Vegeta backhanded the slave across its other cheek, "Let this be a lesson. Teach a slave to read, and they come up with the most outlandish things."

Gohan licked his bloodied lip as he turned back. The time had come to take advantage of his knowledge of things, "Your father was so insecure about your station that he attempted to have a male sayian, born the same day as Kakarott, and his father executed, because this child had even greater potential to become the legendary than you."

"You lie," Vegeta hissed, reaching for the slave's tongue. Kakarott's eyes had grown huge at the slave's words. To plan against the next legendary was high treason to the Sayian people. Not even something a king could get away with.

Gohan jerked his head out of range, "Go ahead, Vegeta. Ask your father about Peragus and Brolli."

Vegeta had never heard mention of Brolli, but was familiar with the name of Peragus. There had been an encounter between his house and the other's before he was born...a short excerpt in the Achieves about failed legislative attempts to remove his grandfather from the throne of Vegeta-sei. If they had been successful, Peragus would have been king instead of his father.

Yes, a child born with legendary potential from that house would have certainly been enough to put the throne of Vegeta-sei into contention once again. Even so... "Why do you tell me something I should have your tongue cut out for?" Vegeta glared.

"Because I also know there are higher levels than legendary that sayians can obtain. Both you and my father are capable of these ascensions," Gohan said.

"Higher than Legendary?" Kakarott asked. There hadn't been a legendary in a millennium or more. How could this slave, younger than both the prince and himself, possibly know of higher levels?

"Impossible," Vegeta scoffed.

"Remove the fuujiru, and I _will_ show you the impossible," Gohan dared, "If I lie, it will be a simple thing to kill me after," Gohan shrugged, as if he didn't give a damn any more.

"Not even I have the rights to remove the fuujiru once it has been put in place," Vegeta said, frowning.

"But if Kakarott issues Idomu, then _'by any means deemed necessary'_ he will be allowed to train for his challenge," Gohan bartered.

"If you are as strong as you claim to be...then what is to stop you from over running the planet once the fuurjiru has been removed?" Vegeta questioned.

"I will give you the information you desire on the planet Kakarott followed me to prior to its removal," Gohan said. It was a reckless move, but his only chance to set things to an even playing field, even if they weren't to his or Earth's advantage.

"Tell me the name of this planet, and I'll think about it," Vegeta countered.

Gohan gave the prince a weighty look as he thought it over, "Earth," he finally admitted.

"Never heard of it," Vegeta said.

Gohan shrugged, "The Universe is a big place. Sayians haven't even explored a quarter of it," he assured the prince. Gohan knew there was something that had stopped the Cold and Vegeta Empires from meeting in this time line...he just didn't know what. Some things were different here, because of this. Like the material for battles suits and armor didn't stretch to fit. Scouters were low-tech relics from the time of the Tuffles; futile gadgets that had been used to watch and try to keep sayians in the stone age. Apparently, regeneration tanks were a variant of Tuffle cloning technology, which Gohan still found surprising: he had always assumed they were a borrowed technology from the ice-jin. Vegeta-sei still existed for that matter. His father had never been sent to conquer a planet as a baby in the name of the Cold Empire.

Vegeta stood. There was one way to know if the slave was speaking truth or not, "You two will stay in my quarters until I return," he ordered. Then he turned to the concubine, "Still its tongue," he additionally ordered Kakarott. The concubine stood and went to the bedroom, returning with a tiny silver chain.

Vegeta gave them both one last look before he left his quarters. Approaching his father with this heresy would to be touchy.

Gohan sighed as Kakarott held up the chain, sticking his tongue out; he really hated this. It made his mouth dry, and often his tongue would try to Charlie horse on him. The concubine clasped the chain to the tiny ring pierced through the tip of the slave's tongue before attaching it to the clavicle piercing. Then the concubine bound the slave's hands behind its back with the collar's leash.

~o0o~

Vegeta entered the council hall just as people were leaving. "Father," he spoke tartly as he made it half way down the table, and the elder had still not acknowledged his presence.

King Vejita turned his head from the conversation still being discussed by one of his senior councilmen, "Vegeta," he acknowledged annoyed. He was angry his son had decided not to be here this afternoon, for his duties as prince.

"I need to speak with you," the prince informed his father. He sighed when his father gave him a patiently waiting look, "Alone. One witness," Vegeta expounded.

King Vejita sneered, having little time for his son's seemingly important matters. He was a prince and an adult for the Legendary's sake! He should be able to handle matters of import without his guidance. If this had anything to do with the exchange that happened this morning, he was going to take his son back to the training room and kick his ass. "Excuse us, Councilman Jerosh," the king commanded.

"Of course, your Majesty," Councilman Jerosh nodded, "We can discuss this at another time."

"General Nappa," the king turned to his most trusted aid, "Will you attend us?" the king requested as he strode to the private exit of the chamber.

Vegeta followed the king and the general to the King's private audience chamber. Once he closed the doors behind them he turned to his father, "Do you have any surveillance in this room?" he asked.

This received curious looks from both the General and the King. The king stood and opened a cupboard, unplugging something inside, "Now I don't. What is it you wish to discuss?" he asked, sitting in his chair again.

Vegeta paced back and forth on the carpet, thinking...

"Vegeta, I do not have all day," the king said with exasperation.

Vegeta finally stopped in front of his father's desk, "Have you heard of Peragus or his son Brolli?" he finally asked. He wasn't expecting his father's quick reaction; he still didn't believe the slave.

Vejita stood and reached for his son across the desk. He pulled the other's torso across by his shirt front, "You will forget you heard those names," the king hissed, "If I find this is a sad attempt to take over the throne early...."

Vegeta shook his head...that was the last thing he had on his mind, "No father," was all he said. He had his answer without getting into the details in front of a witness. The slave apparently did know what it was talking about. Maybe other things it said were possible.

"Then this discussion over?" the king asked. He let go of his son as soon as he got the nod from him. "I will see you at dinner," the king said, leaving the room with a confused Nappa at his back.

Vegeta stayed in the room a bit longer, thinking things through slowly. He sighed and shook his head before heading back towards his quarters. Simple glares were enough to keep all petitioners away from him until he reached his rooms. He sighed, opening his door.

Kakarott looked up from the book he had picked off of the prince's shelf and was reading to keep himself distracted as the door opened. Gohan turned his gaze up from where it was being forced to the floor from his bondage, thankful that what ever the prince had decided to do had taken less than an hour.

Vegeta closed his door quietly before approaching the other two. He glanced at the slave, "You can remove the chain," he instructed Kakarott. The concubine nodded and removed the chain from the slave's tongue, "It seems at least part of what you spoke was true. Although I have serious questions as to how someone of your station would know of such matters..." Vegeta gave the slave a careful look over. Other than being extremely beautiful, there was nothing indicating that its heritage may have come from one of the higher families privy to such information.

Gohan smiled, "I am sorry, your Highness, but I think there are some things not even _you_ would believe about me. It's best to take a few things on honor and in faith than have to think I am a pathological liar."

Vegeta snorted. This slave, when given the chance, certainly did not sound like a slave. Some where in its past, it had received some excellent education. He shook himself from his musing; turning his attention back to his concubine, "Go shower," he told the slave. He wanted some time alone to discuss things with Kakarott.

Gohan stood and turned his bound hands towards Kakarott, who deftly undid the chain. Once the slave had crossed behind the bedchamber's doors, Kakarott turned to his prince, "Your Highness..." he stopped as Vegeta pressed a finger to his lips.

"Call me Vegeta," the older sayian purred, "I love it when you say my name."

Kakarott shivered and his stomach fluttered, "Vegeta..." he started again, and was stopped as the prince pressed his lips to his. He moaned into the kiss with confusion and want.

Vegeta ran his hands over Kakarott's arms as he kissed him. Was this actually possible? He couldn't believe it. If his concubine challenged his birth class, and gained the class of elite...they could be together....

Kakarott forced himself to stop, as much as he wanted to let things deteriorate around them, he needed answers; like, "Why Idomu?" he was finally able to say. All the negotiating he had witnessed between the prince and the slave had made no sense to him. If he challenged now he knew he would not go beyond first class. And the question still remained, "What do you hope to gain from this?"

Vegeta grudgingly stopped. He lifted his hands to the neckline of the slave clothes his concubine wore, and nudged it down slightly, until he could see the two marks he had left earlier. He traced them with his thumbs, "I almost didn't stop myself...today," Vegeta whispered. He smiled as Kakarott shivered and closed his eyes at the touch, "I hope to gain you," Vegeta said, pressing his lips against Kakarott's again.

Kakarott whined as his mouth was devoured. He had forgotten about the marks in the midst of everything else that had happened until Vegeta touched them. He gasped as his jaw was pressed back, and Vegeta was kissing his neck, "Idomu?" he persisted shakily.

"Yes...the challenge. I need you to become stronger. Strong enough to gain elite class," Vegeta said as he ran his nose slowly across Kakarott's collarbone so he could kiss the other mark. "I want to make these real," he whispered in the other's ear as he drew his lips away from their temptation. He was taken by surprise as his concubine's arms wrapped him in a hug and felt the other's head nod. Was his concubine shaking?

Kakarott pulled away. Even if this was real, and Vegeta was talking about mating seriously, it was still the prince: not much of a hugger.

Vegeta shook his head at the smile Kakarott wore, "You smile now. Training to become elite class from first class readings in a year...you may just hate me before this is done," the prince told the concubine seriously.

"I have a goal! With you here to train me..." he stopped as Vegeta shook his head, "What?"

"You can not train in the capital," Vegeta told him with a frown, "My father is a smart man. He will eventually figure out what is happening...and find a way to stop it."

"Why?" Kakarott asked.

"Bonding between a prince and a concubine? Even if my father were not to object, there are many others from my house that would," Vegeta told Kakarott unhappily.

Kakarott growled, "But the chemistry is there! How is this supposed to work? Don't get my hopes..." Kakarott started.

Vegeta turned his gaze toward the area the slave was in, "It all depends on him," he said quietly, "And his belief in himself." Vegeta vaguely questioned himself on putting so much trust in one person. I was not like him...but if it would achieve _this_...

Kakarott's eyes narrowed, "What if he is lying? What if this is just some plot to get him unbound?"

"Then I will kill him," Vegeta said with conviction.

~o0o~~o0o~

 


	6. Chapter 5

##  _Idomu_

### By [Macha ](mailto:bynp@comcast.net)

### Chapter 5

 

Goku flopped back in the grass with a sigh. This sparring session with Vegeta had been more fun than a work out. He shifted slightly in surprise as Vegeta joined him, back down on the grass.

"Hn," Vegeta grunted at something.

"Yeah?" Goku asked. Vegeta rarely made noises that didn't have meaning.

Vegeta scanned the sky. He could breathe, and survive here...but the sky was nothing like Vegeta-sei's; except on very rare occasions. Like very early morning hours, or late in the evening ones. Right now, it was close to noon...nothing but blue....

Goku turned his attention back to the sky when he didn't receive an answer from Vegeta immediately. 'Probably thinking about Vegeta-sei,' he thought to himself. Vegeta had been doing that a lot lately. Goku understood Vegeta had to dig into his memories to give Goku and Videl even an inkling of what Gohan might be experiencing while he was away.

"Do you think he'll appreciate it, when he gets back?" Goku asked Vegeta, not really expecting a response. He was still surprised Vegeta had stayed after the spar.

"Appreciate what?" Vegeta asked, closing his eyes. It was a calming thought; someone on this mud ball besides him would _know_ Vegeta-sei...he was actually looking forward the day the baka's son returned. Another two months, and they would be able to begin the search for the dragon balls...the woman had even made more of the radars in order for the search to go faster.

"The sky?" Goku asked. Was his son in the mines Vegeta had explained...or was he...doing something else? Goku shifted uncomfortably at the thought.

"Hn," was Vegeta's non-committal reply.

~o0o~~o0o~

"What are you writing?" Kakarott asked the slave. He was a bundle of nerves. Since this whole plan had begun, he hadn't been in Vegeta's presence...it was starting to get to him.

Gohan looked up from the journal he had started keeping. It was safe enough. No one on this planet could read it, "The bread recipe," he said.

Kakarott shook his head. The slave wrote some of the strangest things down. "How can you be so calm?" he finally asked.

Gohan sighed, setting the journal aside. "I really am not," he admitted, but smiled all the same. "You are certain your father's lab contains all the things I stated?" he asked. He was still surprised Bardock was such a scientist...

"Yes...absolutely. I corresponded with him two days ago. He was ecstatic about the schematics you had me send him. He was kind of concerned as to why..."

"You didn't tell him? Did you?" Gohan asked.

"No...of course not," Kakarott gave the slave a scolding look, "He'll have his answers soon enough."

Gohan raised his hands, "Okay...just thought I would check."

Kakarott threw himself onto his mattress. Tonight was the last night he could be with Vegeta in almost a year...well, if he trained harder, it could be done sooner! Sayo, how he wanted it to be sooner! Wasn't it dinnertime yet? Vegeta had indicated he had something special planned for tonight....

Gohan picked up a book from the floor, flipping through it, until he found the section describing the surgery he would have to undergo in order to have the fuujiru removed. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. That was an awfully big chunk of vertebra to remove from around the spinal cord. "Prince Vegeta is certain he's got capable people lined up for this, right?" Gohan asked nervously.

"Absolutely," Kakarott stated as he stared up at the ceiling. Guessing what the prince had in mind wasn't helping. They both jumped as they felt Vegeta's ki spike in a coded series. "Finally!" Kakarott exclaimed, jumping up from his bed.

Gohan smiled and put the book down. He strapped the collar on while the concubine waited impatiently before handing the leash to him, smiling indulgently as it was tugged at eagerly as they hurried towards the prince's rooms.

Several servants were leaving as they came into view. Kakarott waited until they were a bit down the hall before knocking at the door nervously. He pushed it open at a quiet, "Enter."

The room was almost dark when they first entered, and there was a bit of confusion as someone grabbed the leash from Kakarott's hands, "Sorry, sir, orders," was whispered to him.

Gohan followed who ever had taken over the leash's control to the left side of the room. He flinched as the same person reached up to take off the collar, "Again, sorry, orders," and Gohan relaxed. He fumbled with a bit of paper that was pressed into his hand.

Kakarott stayed by the entry, not certain what he was supposed to do as he heard the exchange between the servant and the slave. Moments later, the man was brushing by him on his way out the door, "Have a good evening, sir," the servant said with a chuckle in his voice.

Vegeta smirked as he listened to his concubine fidget by the doorway, but said nothing. Kakarott wouldn't have to wait long in order to see what was going on. As soon as the door closed, the prince lit the wick his finger was touching. He used the light from the one candle to light several others, his smirk turning into a sly smile as Kakarott gasped.

Kakarott stepped forward. The prince's front room had undergone a huge make over in order to fit the low table that was set with food. All sorts of dishes he rarely had a chance to enjoy were placed about; most of them being the type that could be enjoyed cold or only mildly warm. "Care to join me, Kakarott?" Vegeta asked when the sayian didn't sit right away. The concubine blushed and took a cross-legged seat on the pillow set at the corner from the prince's.

Gohan was busy reading what the piece of paper he had in his hands said. He looked at up at the pitchers, one white mead, one red wine, and a smaller one of water. He smiled at the note, "Help yourself, but not too much." He glanced up as the prince covertly cleared his throat and grabbed the one with wine and went to the table, pouring it into their mugs, hoping not to spill any. He was thankful the dishes had already been laid out, and the note indicated they would be serving themselves. He returned to the shelf he had been stationed at (he could have sworn there were usually books on it), before reading further down the note, lifting the lid to one of the trays on the shelves further down from the pitchers. He snuck some bread out quietly and began eating his own meal with as little noise as possible.

The room stayed quiet for some time, the only sounds people eating, a grunt of approval now and then...sayians weren't the best conversationalists when there was food to be had. Gohan kept a careful eye on their mugs, interrupting his own meal repeatedly to keep them full. He finished reading the instructions after he poured the last of the mead.

As the feeding frenzy started to slow, Vegeta kept a covert eye on Kakarott. He knew his concubine didn't prefer rich foods, so he had kept the fair simple with a touch of the exotic. He watched which ones his chosen visited repeatedly, keeping the information in mind for later. He also knew his concubine...he nudge himself mentally...this would be the last night he could call Kakarott that. He also knew Kakarott was not much of a drinker. Vegeta smiled knowingly at the slight flush the alcohol had brought to Kakarott's features.

Kakarott sighed and sat back, a small smile on his face. The food was practically gone, only dressings and spreads left with an occasional crumb. He turned his gaze up to Vegeta, blushing at the predatory gaze his prince was giving him...how long had it been since he'd blushed in the prince's presence? "I think I might have a buzz," he whispered as Vegeta leaned towards him.

"I know," Vegeta said, indicating it had been intentional on his part. He pressed his lips to his concubine's gently, reaching a hand up to the back of the other's head.

Kakarott moaned as Vegeta tangled their tongues. Vegeta's tail knocked into some of the dishes, but neither was paying much attention to what was going on around them. Gohan stepped stealthily over to the table and started pinching wicks out between his fingers, moving the ones he deemed necessary further away. Gohan shook his head at himself; the prince probably didn't want to start any fires while starting _fires_. 'Ah, that was just corny,' he snickered to himself, the alien wine having more of an affect on him than he had suspected, as he leaned against the wall and drank the last from his mug.

The table was shifted along the floor as the prince pressed it out of the way to get closer to Kakarott. Kakarott shifted to his knees as the prince came to him and yielded as his prince's strong arms wrapped around him crushingly. Frantic, fevered kisses followed, starving him for air he did not care to breathe. He started as Vegeta's fingers began undoing the buttons of his shirt and growled as he pressed his hands to the prince's chest, not having the same advantage. He whined as his hands were pressed down as Vegeta shifted his shirt off his shoulders. Kakarott gasped as the prince let his knees spread apart and dragged his torso closer so he could tease one of his nipples with his tongue. That was a surprise...a nice one. He purred as his hand pressed gently on the back of Vegeta's head as he watched what he could of his demise.

Vegeta chuckled and obliged his concubine's wish, gently sucking on the tidbit of sensitive skin he had taken into his mouth. The wine was working nicely...Kakarott was less the professional, and acting more the needy sayian. Kakarott's gasps came in time with his sucking, and he nipped gently just to hear the catch in the other's breathing. Vegeta groaned...this sayian made him insane. He slid one hand up the concubine's side, kneading the flesh under his fingers as he went. Gripping, clutching...

"Nnnnn," Kakarott whined as he inclined his chest closer to Vegeta mouth, "Aaaah," he ran his hands through Vegeta's thick hair as the other nipped him again.

It was pure torture watching them. Gohan sunk to the floor, trying to still his own breathing. He knew he may have been acting the servant for this little get together, but he was still the slave...he groaned and fisted his hands in his hair as Kakarott threw his head back and howled in pleasure.

Vegeta growled around Kakarott's other nipple. His plans of taking it torturously slow were deteriorating quickly. He had no control when it came to Kakarott...the thought startled him momentarily, before it was lost to the onslaught of much more pleasant thoughts...like Kakarott reaching for his hand and pressing against his erection, as the concubine reached for his with his other hand. He panted as he stroked and kissed down the other's abs, going far enough Kakarott lost his hold on him as he dipped his tongue into the concubine's navel teasingly.

It was too much...and not enough. Kakarott once again made a move to start taking the prince's clothing off, detesting the slight advantage the other gained from having the material still covering his flesh. He growled in pleasure as this time, the prince was more than ready for him to continue.

There was a slight tangle of pants legs that neither of them noticed in their hurry to shed clothing; and then they were kneeling, sweat graced skin gliding against the other's body. Kakarott reached for Vegeta's tail and erection simultaneously causing the prince to arch back from their kiss as his breath came out in a shuddering sigh. The paralysis didn't last long as Vegeta became a blur of movement for a moment. The pillow he had been using earlier was thrown up on the table, and then Kakarott felt his chest being pressed into it.

The concubine whined and pressed his hips back as Vegeta held his tail out of the way as the prince reached for something on the table. Kakarott hissed as something cool and wet was poured over him, shivering when the liberally used substance trickled down his length. He pressed back again as he felt Vegeta's fingers prod him.

Vegeta watched Kakarott grind back with lidded eyes. He let the other seductively torment him visually for a few moments before he with drew his fingers and pushed himself into Kakarott.

Twin calls had Gohan practically squirming on the floor; his mind clouded with lust and drink. He sat on his hands, but removed them quickly as he started touching himself. His longing groan was masked by Kakarott's torturous calls.

Vegeta ran his hand the length of Kakarott's tail as he brought it up to his mouth, wrapping his lips around a portion of the middle of it. He dropped his hands down the grip at Kakarott's hips and finally started a satisfying frantic rhythm. He ran the tip of his tongue along the portion of furred flesh in his mouth as he closed his eyes.

Kakarott's back arched away from the table, and he came, screaming. Vegeta lost his hold on his concubine's tail as he gasped at the spasm that shook him and then dragged him down with the other. He laid his head against Kakarott's back, panting heavily. He purred in pleasure once his breathing slowed, and his purr was echoed back from the skin he had his cheek pressed against. The prince moaned in dismay as he withdrew from the other.

Kakarott whined, unable to move for a moment. He wrapped his fingers around the hand suddenly reaching for his. Glancing up dazedly, he groaned as he stood to wobbly legs, and followed Vegeta obediently, not knowing, and really, not caring where they were headed.

Gohan grit his teeth and stood as Vegeta led Kakarott to his showers. His resilience, if the note were correct, would be rewarded soon enough. He stripped his clothes off at Vegeta's bedroom door, and then entered, looking for the things the instructions said would be there.

The few candles around the room barely gave off enough light for him to see the fur on the floor off to the side of the bed. Gohan knelt and picked up the used training outfit, and rubbed it as best he could around his neck, shoulders and back, before taking it to the hamper. He knelt on the floor before picking up the next object laid ready for him: a leather gag. He placed the ball in his mouth before strapping it behind his head. Lastly, one of the red silk blindfolds went over his eyes. He tied it securely in place before settling to wait. His ears and nose became hyper aware. He could pick up Vegeta's scent on him, but it did not totally mask his own, and he wondered if the prince had something in mind to take care of that.

Gohan's eyes slowly became adjusted to their new environment, and the candle's light wavered behind his eyelids. What seemed like an eternity later he heard the water flowing through the pipes in the walls stop. Gohan waited impatiently once the prince and the concubine entered the room. He listened, as their steps would start then falter as they made their way slowly his direction. Heavy breathing through noses as they kissed teased his mind with memories: most pleasant.

Finally, Gohan felt the fur under his knees shift the slightest bit, and a quiet, "Vegeta?"

"Sssssssh," Gohan heard the prince coax.

Kakarott hadn't paid much attention to the slave kneeling on the floor. It was not uncommon for him to be in their presence when they had sex. However, he had been expecting to go to the prince's bed, so he was thrown off guard as Vegeta lead him to the fur the slave was kneeling on. He finally took a moment to become more aware of his surroundings, as Vegeta kissed his neck, turning his gaze down. The slave had gagged and blindfolded himself. He resisted only slightly as Vegeta pressed down on his shoulders before he knelt on the fur behind the slave.

The concubine started as Vegeta picked up another blindfold off of the fur and walked behind him. He felt the prince kneel behind him, but jerked slightly as the strip of red cloth was brought in front of his face, "Vegeta?" he asked again.

Vegeta still didn't know how to address his fantasy verbally. He knew what he wanted could be cause to call him depraved. Giving voice to his desire was not something he was willing to do: not yet. He kissed soothingly up the concubine's spine, his arms pivoting over Kakarott's shoulders.

Kakarott relaxed at the prince's calming gestures. Vegeta would not hurt him. This set up was strange, but he would go with it, and see where it led. He caught the prince's hands in his own, and drew both sets along with the blindfold towards his face. The silk of the material glided comfortably over his closed eyelids as he felt Vegeta tie the length gently behind his head. Then the prince was touching him much more lightly than usual. He shivered as strong hands were ran the length of his arms, and then the heat of Vegeta's body behind him as the prince shifted his palms from his arms to his thighs. The concubine trilled quietly as the prince's tail twined with his seductively. One last kiss to the back of his neck, and then Vegeta removed himself.

Gohan listened as someone got up and walked a couple of steps away from him...them. Someone was still on the fur behind him. The click of a cupboard as it was opened, somewhere, and Gohan became more confident in his speculation it was the prince doing some last moment things.

Vegeta opened the cupboard he had set a couple of things for this he had not wanted either of them to see. Well, the shallow bowl with oil in it was one thing...but the phallic object would have been embarrassing to try to explain. He gathered these, one in each hand, before walking back where the others waited.

Kakarott listened as Vegeta walked to one portion of his room, and then back behind him. It was interesting how the prince's breathing could tell him if Vegeta was standing at full height, bent over, or finally kneeling with them on the fur. He started as his hand was gently caught, and directed towards something on the floor. He willingly let the other direct his fingers somewhat awkwardly into a thick liquid.

Gohan shifted forward as the hand against the back of his head directed until he was on all fours. He gasped as wet fingers were run over his entrance, but the gag muffled the sound.

Vegeta settled back as Kakarott began taking more deliberate actions with less coaching on his part. The prince dipped his own fingers in the oil when Kakarott was busy applying more to the slave's body. He bit his lip as he watched his concubine press into the slave, as he pressed his own inside himself.

Kakarott heard the slight catch in Vegeta's breath as he finally began pushing his fingers into the slave. He twisted his fingers inside the other, as he normally would, and heard a muffled groan from the prince. He self-consciously wondered what Vegeta was thinking while watching him do this. He removed his fingers from the slave in order to gather more of the substance in the bowl on the floor with cupped fingers. He ran his hand slowly over his erection, before pressing his fingers back into the slave.

Vegeta growled as he watched the concubine slick himself, and mirrored the action. He gasped as Kakarott continued to prep the other, and shifted back slightly onto his own fingers. He gathered the lingam from the floor with his tail as Kakarott once again withdrew his fingers from the slave. Vegeta ran one finger over the tip of his erection, gathering beaded essence onto his forefinger, before leaning forward.

Kakarott jerked slightly as the prince's finger unexpectedly ran under his nose and over his top lip. Suddenly he couldn't smell anything _but_ the prince's need, and it was only then he thought to wonder about the slave's muffled scent. With him blinded, the slave gagged, and now this overwhelming portion of Vegeta...the person below him could be the prince...Kakarott groaned, and heard a muffled response from beside him. This was so wrong...and yet something he had wanted badly in the past. Kakarott leaned forward, gliding himself along the other's prepped skin.

Vegeta panted and slicked the lingam with oil as he waited for Kakarott to continue. He used his tail to angle and steady it between his feet as he shifted his hips to rest the tip of it against himself, holding back.

The body below him shuddered, and there was a cry from beside him as Kakarott finally pressed into the slave. He stilled, listening as Vegeta's open mouth panting drowned out any sounds the gagged slave was making.

Vegeta sat back as Kakarott finally entered the slave, sliding himself down the dildo, crying out as it entered his body...he stilled as the concubine did...once again waiting, "Gods, Kakarott, don't stop," he whispered.

"Hnnnnn," Kakarott bit his lip and drew back at the prince's words, "Vegeta," he whispered as he went forward. He groaned as Vegeta called out again in time with his actions. If...if this were Vegeta beneath him, how...how would he...Kakarott pulled back and pitched forward again, "Hnrrrrrrr," he growled possessively.

Vegeta gasped as he mimicked the swift movement, and stilled as Kakarott did, whining slightly at the concubine's growl. He was quick to imitate as Kakarott once again drew his hips back from the slave's body, gasping, as the concubine torturously did not press into the slave immediately. He whined pathetically as he waited for the other to continue.

Kakarott grunted as he moved himself forward, drawing back, listening to the sounds Vegeta made, driving forward again. "Oh...oh fuck," he whispered as he clawed at the back beneath his fingers. The lingering alcohol in his system made it way too easy to imagine it was the prince under him.

"Yessss," Vegeta hissed as he watched Kakarott. Gods...Kakarott would not be doing what he was if he _knew_ it was the prince beneath him. He would have been trying to control himself...but Vegeta didn't want the concubine to control himself. He wanted...he wanted to watch what Kakarott was like when his desire claimed him wholly.

Kakarott wrapped his arms around the slave's torso and leaned back. He kissed at the slave's back and stilled...the slave...what had Vegeta done? He twirled his tongue over the skin of the slave's back, but there was no mistaking it; the slave tasted like him. He turned his head towards the area he could hear the prince's needy gasps, and then pressed his cheek against the slave's back as he began rolling his hips up.

Vegeta moaned as he swayed back. "Ple..." he stopped himself. As much as he wanted lose control....

Kakarott panted through trembling lips, and nodded. His prince shouldn't have to beg him. If it were Vegeta beneath him...Kakarott shook his head. No more confusion. "Vegeta," he growled as ran himself into the surrogate body the prince had chosen to portray him for this. He growled at the satisfying cry his prince made at his actions, let the other back down to the floor, and picked up his speed.

Vegeta leaned forward, and used his tail to thrust the dildo in and out of his body at Kakarott's direction. He groaned as Kakarott's tail wrapped around the slave's erection, and lifted one hand from the floor to grab and stroke himself with swift movements...so fucking close... "Kakarott!"

The concubine's growl echoed in response. Oh...gods, soon...he shifted his tail tighter around the slave's erection, jerking the body below him to climax. He turned his head in his prince's direction, "Vegeta," he whispered with need.

Vegeta couldn't hold on even if he had wanted to at Kakarott's lust-filled whisper. He ran the lingam into him one last time as his climax shook him, "Oh, gods," he whined in a shaky voice, and then panted as he laid his head down on the floor as his other arm gave out.

Both Kakarott and Gohan responded as Vegeta's scent intensified. The gag muffled Gohan's shuddering call, but not Kakarott's. He broke away from the slave's body moments after and crawled until he found Vegeta, running his hands over the prince's body until he found the other's face, and lifted it to kiss him, clutching the other to him tightly. Vegeta pulled the artificial object from his body, and used his tail to flick it somewhere out of the way. He ran his hands soothingly over his concubine's trembling body and pressed his fingers against Kakarott's lips as the other started to speak. He reached back and untied the blindfold, shaking his head for silence as the concubine opened his mouth once more.

Kakarott nodded, and let Vegeta go as the prince shifted his weight to his knees. He reached to touch the other, but withdrew his hands before he made contact.

Vegeta moved to the slave's side and lifted his head in order to untie the blindfold, and then unbuckle the gag. He stood and reached a hand for Kakarott. He nudged the slave to get up with a foot as he led his concubine to the bed silently.

Gohan groaned, and shifted on his knees before he stood, following the other two to the bed. He lay down on the foot of the mattress as the other two wrapped their bodies together on the main portion of bed. Not a word was spoken as they fell asleep.

~o0o~

Vegeta found his attention wavering from the issue the council was addressing in favor of the door to the council room...again. He sighed as he felt Kakarott increase his ki once; a signal the other was about to enter. So he didn't jump with the rest of the council members, as there was a harsh rap at the door.

The King frowned at the interruption of such important matters, but nodded to the guards at the inside of the door to open it. He would deal with this infraction swiftly, and then they could continue.

Vegeta sat up a little straighter as Kakarott entered, the slave following him discretely. He had to admit to himself, Kakarott looked _goooood_ in black.

Vejita frowned upon seeing it was one of his son's concubines who had interrupted state matters, "Vegeta, I don't have time for this," he spoke authoritatively to his son. A love spat, or whatever the castle was gossiping about today, should be taken care of in private. The king turned his attention back to the concubine, his lips set in a thin, impatient line.

"Father, I do not know why he is here," Vegeta lied smoothly, "Kakarott, what is it?"

Kakarott stepped closer to the high council table, trying not to smile anxiously at Vegeta. He glanced quickly at his brother who guarded the prince's side, and then turned his gaze nervously towards the king, "Well?" the king asked.

"Your Majesty," Kakarott bowed, "Council members," he said as he addressed the group at large, "I issue Idomu," he stated plainly.

There were several mummers around the room, and many of the council members reached for their scouters, clicking them on. Vejita reached a hand back to Nappa, and the General handed his scouter to the king.

Radditz was too busy frowning at his brother to even bother turning on his scouter. He had no idea what the little shit was up to, but Kakarott was going to get his ass kicked in the training room for this little embarrassing stunt later, "I am very sorry your Highness," he said quietly to the prince.

Vegeta did his best to keep a frown on his face. It was difficult when all he wanted to do was smirk and tell the council to fuck off. Most of them had, by now, affirmed Kakarott's ki was barely higher than 430, and still in third class range.

Kakarott had difficult time keeping his ki suppressed. He was so fucking nervous! Vegeta had insisted that he lower his ki for this...something about how the folly of fools would put the nobles in a more generous mood, _"They'll see it as an opportunity to rub third class' nose in it later,"_ the prince had advised.

Councilman Jerosh stood, "Do you have your birth documentation?" he asked the concubine.

Kakarott nervously pulled one of the scrolls out from his tail he had wrapped tightly around his waist. He handed it to the page that came and stood next to him. "You're doing great," the slave whispered from behind him as the page carried the document to the councilman.

Jerosh looked over the document handed to him closely, noting the official seal, and the birth reading, "Kakarott, Son of Bardock. Born with a reading of 380. Is this correct?" he asked as he handed the document to the king.

"Yes sir," Kakarott said as he bowed his head.

"And your goal?" the king asked distractedly while perusing the document.

"I aim for first class, your Majesty," Kakarott lied smoothly. Vegeta had advised against stating his true goal of elite; it would have raised too many red flags.

"The time frame?" Jerosh asked.

"I plan on using the whole year granted..." Kakarott started. There were a couple of snickers from other members of the council. They stilled as Jerosh looked around the room.

"State your terms," the king asked, bored with this already.

Kakarott gulped as he pulled the second scroll from his tail, "Please take this to Prince Vegeta," he addressed the page he handed it to.

The page hurried around the table to the prince, handing the document over. Vegeta looked over the document per functionally; he let an outraged look come over his features, "You mean to dissolve our contract?" he hissed convincingly.

Even though he knew it was a part of the ploy to get them through this, Kakarott's countenance still turned sad, "Yes, your Highness," he said unhappily. A whole year away from Vegeta seemed like forever.

The king couldn't help but smirk at his son's disappointment. This concubine in particular had been a great distraction to his son...and his son finding a mate: preferably one of the elite females that still had their ovaries intact. This put him in a much better mood, "Any other terms," the king said hurriedly, hoping to stall any outburst his son might throw about this publicly.

Kakarott pulled the slave's leash forward nervously, and Gohan came obediently, "I also ask that this slave's fuujiru be removed," he said.

Several council members sat up in their chairs at this. A lot of them also glanced between the prince and the concubine...and the slave, calculatingly.

Vegeta could have kicked himself for not seeing this reaction! It was very easy to conclude that Kakarott was not doing this so much for the gain in status: the birth reading technology was almost error proof. He could count on his hands the times in the last four generations Idomu had been issued; and none of them had changed the challenger's status. Some of these fools were thinking Kakarott only sought the slave's freedom...and was dumping him for the slave. He almost laughed...yes, he might have to deal with ridicule for a while, but when Kakarott finally showed his true abilities, he would have the last laugh. Vegeta growled, "Why not ask for all the slaves' freedoms while you are at it," he sneered.

Kakarott cleared his throat nervously. There was something going on that he was missing, "I don't need all the slaves for the Idomu, your Highness. Only this one," he said, holding up Gohan's leash.

The king couldn't help the bark of laughter generated at the concubine's words, "Granted!" he said generously. Maybe his son wouldn't be so distracted by his concubines any more, after this humiliating lesson.

Vegeta frowned, and crossed his arms, "He is still my slave until the fuujiru is removed," he paused, thinking his next statement through carefully, "I demand to be present during the removal," he held up his hand, stalling anything anyone wanted to say about this, "AND, I will pick the surgeons," he grinned evilly, letting the council members think what they would about his statement. Most of their minds were probably headed towards the humiliation this situation presented, and the possibility that Vegeta very well might pick someone to perform the surgery who he could also dictate that they kill the slave in the process.

The king shrugged, "Acceptable," he said turning his attention back to the concubine, "You will work with Prince Vegeta on the arrangements...after this council meeting," he said. He was going to enjoy watching his son brood about this during in the mean time.

Kakarott bowed low, "Thank you your Majesty, your Highness and Lords," he said before he stood and back out of the council room with one last look at his brother and the prince. Vegeta was still acting put out about this...Radditz was truly pissed.

He didn't turn away from the room until the doors were closed in his face. He gathered the slave's leash tighter in his hand, and guided the slave away from the council chamber, and the guards at the entrance of the room. Once they were around a corner, he turned and grinned at the slave, "OH my gods! I think I am going to faint!" he stated.

Gohan grinned at him, "Well, the worst part is over. Now we have two more things to accomplish," he said gravely, "I need to get this removed," he said, touching the back of his neck, "And...then we begin your training." He shook his head as Kakarott grinned at him again, "It's not going to be easy, sir," he stated.

Kakarott nodded, "Yes...but I am already first class...we just have to get me into elite!"

Gohan sighed...breaking that second to last barrier wasn't going to be as easy as the concubine thought it was, "Just remember your goal at the end of this. Anytime you get mad at me, or feel dejected, remember; you will be Vegeta's when this is done, and Vegeta will be yours."

Kakarott nodded seriously. Something in the way the slave was behaving made him nervous, but he would do anything to see those last two things gained. Anything!

~o0o~~o0o~

  
  


 


	7. Chapter 6

##  _Idomu_

### By [Macha ](mailto:bynp@comcast.net)

### Chapter 6

 

Gohan shivered as he laid out face down on the surgery table. He worried he had made a mistake in telling Vegeta all the prince had wanted to know about Earth, but it had been a part of their bargain. A respirator was pressed through the hole in the table against his face, and then strapped behind his head. He started counting back from 100, trying not to tense up. The anesthetic quickly made that worry moot: Gohan could feel his body relaxing as he breathed in the vapors. His eyes closed of their own accord.

Vegeta stood with his back against the door as Kakarott paced the length of the room. The prince had his scouter turned on, keeping a close watch on the slave while he thought some on what the slave had told him of his home world. The only thing of interest was the technology, but the slave had indicated he could duplicate much of it from the resources Vegeta could supply and the equipment Kakarott's father had.

Currently, the scouter held a reading of 10, but the prince wanted to make sure he could mask any sudden spikes that may happen in the slave's energy during or immediately after the surgery. There would be a 12-hour recovery time, where either Kakarott or himself would be in the same room as the slave: a precaution Vegeta hoped was unnecessary.

He found his eyes following Kakarott's form back and forth across the room. Vegeta wanted to go to him...but he didn't know if he could control himself. Wouldn't it just amuse everyone so, if he couldn't keep his hands off of the concubine that had dumped him. He scowled at the thought.

Kakarott stilled as he felt the prince's mood shift. He looked in the other's direction, the desperation he felt easy to read on his face. Vegeta shook his head once, indicating even that was too much in the presence of others, and Kakarott took up his pacing again.

Over an hour later, the surgeon stepped away from the operating table. He wiped off his hands and stepped out of the bottom half of the regeneration tank before pressing the button that would close it. The sides of the tank closed around the patient, and liquid started filling the tank. He turned as the prince addressed him, "Well?"

Dr. Malva looked up, "Everything went smoothly. It was practically textbook," he said as he handed over the chip that had been attached to the slave's spinal cord. The doctor was thankful there had been no complications; this surgery was a once in a lifetime operation...he seriously doubted there would be another slave in this generation to receive the same.

Vegeta grunted, inspecting the tiny piece of technology. He passed it over to Kakarott as the other came to see, "Here's your proof. I hope you made the correct decision," Vegeta told Kakarott for the benefit of the doctor.

Kakarott nodded and crushed it between his fingers, "Shouldn't his ki be higher?" he asked.

The doctor cleared his throat, "The tank sequence should be like any other. His ki will stay low until the anesthetic starts to wear off. If you do not need me for anything else, your Highness," he said. The tension between these two was almost an entity of its own, and he would be more than happy to leave to let them deal with things. Word had spread fast that the concubine had been the one to dissolve the contract.

"No. I think you've done well," Vegeta told the surgeon. He relaxed visibly as the doctor left the two of them alone. "Radditz is waiting outside," he warned Kakarott.

Kakarott didn't bother mentioning he could feel that for himself: the warning had been Vegeta's way of showing concern, "He's probably going to kick my ass at the first opportunity," Kakarott sighed.

"You stay here, and I'll take care of your brother," Vegeta said, reaching a hand to brush some hair from Kakarott's face.

"Thank you, your Highness," Kakarott replied. Trying to explain to his brother this was a part of something much bigger wasn't going to be easy, especially from the inside of a regeneration tank. Radditz had a habit of reacting before thinking...or in this case, listening.

Vegeta left quickly, the temptation Kakarott presented was too dangerous.

Kakarott sighed as the door closed. He shook himself mentally and then went to go and peer at Gohan through the observation window, "You'd have better not been lying," he hissed quietly before turning his back to the tank, and sliding down to the floor to wait.

Radditz stood to attention as the prince exited the room soon after the doctor. "Your Highness," he started, "I am sorry about my brother..."

Vegeta shook his head, "I do not wish to discuss this here," he interrupted, indicating the hallway before leading the other to somewhere he felt more secure about discussing the truth of things.

Radditz nodded and fell in behind his prince; he was already getting razzed about what his brother had pulled, and several of his inferiors had indicated they didn't think he would be keeping his job long after the stunt pulled in the council room. Some of them were too happy at the prospect of a raise in position at his expense, for Radditz' tastes.

The commander was surprised when Vegeta pulled him into a small supply room. He watched curiously as the prince disabled the one surveillance camera in the room, before turning back to him, "Your brother did precisely as instructed," Vegeta's statement couldn't have been more shocking to Radditz.

"He was supposed to publicly humiliate you?" he asked before he thought better of his wording. He waited to get reprimanded in some way for his words.

So it was another shock as the prince shook his head and started chuckling, "No. No, but this will work out much better for us in the end."

Radditz sighed in confusion, "So, I shouldn't beat the shit out of my brother?" he asked, and went on to his next question after the prince shook his head, "And I still have a job?"

Vegeta stopped chuckling, "Who said anything about your job?"

"Well, there were several of the men who indicated because of the shame Kakarott had just brought on the royal family, you'd most likely fire me in the next couple of days," he explained.

Vegeta snorted, "I can certainly keep my perspective objective when it comes to my different employees," he frowned, "Although...this may prove useful," he grinned, "I will want a report as to what happens, and I can send you with them, to return to me in a week. When you get back, you can kick the shit out of those quickest to mock you," the prince granted.

Radditz grinned wickedly, "So, what is it that you will need me to report on, your Highness?" he asked casually.

The prince's head suddenly turned as though Vegeta had heard something weird, "Shit," he said, pressing Radditz out of the way, and reaching for the door. His commander followed him back to the surgery room.

"What is it, your Highness?" Radditz asked as Vegeta quickly entered, and beckoned him in.

"Close the door and turn your scouter on," the prince advised. Radditz closed the door and turned back to the interior of the room. He noticed his brother peering into the regeneration chamber and turned his scouter on, and did a double take at the data readings while tapping the temperamental instrument, "I think it's broken," he commented quietly. His brother's ki read 10,500, Vegeta's had dropped to 380, and the ki from who he supposed was the slave in the tank had spiked...to 35,000: Vegeta's light training read out.

"I can't get his attention," Kakarott said to Vegeta, "He is still sleeping off the anesthetic," he continued worriedly.

"It's okay, I've suppressed mine to compensate. Hopefully if someone comes, they won't actually enter the room," he turned back to Radditz, "I need you to guard the door. If anyone comes, imply that we are arguing, and that you greatly recommend they do not interrupt us," Vegeta ordered.

Radditz nodded and did as he was told, although he was becoming desperate for answers. The prince had learned to suppress his ki? He had known the slave's ki had risen without the aid of a scouter? Yes, he understood now, there was much more going on than what met the casual eye. He pressed his back against the door with a grim look over his features, although he wanted to smile at his brother's achievement. Apparently, Kakarott also knew how to suppress his ki, and his brother was _not_ so far off from his goal of making first class: sneaky little pest.

Radditz gasped as another thought struck him; the slave's reading was at 35,000, and it...he was sleeping?! He almost didn't stop himself from going back into the room, concerned for the safety of his prince and his brother. The thought was astounding...almost terrifying. What would his ki be like when he was finally awake?

Gohan tried to shake his head groggily, but it had been strapped into place. He reached to un-strap the mask from his face, barely registering the fact his arm had been tied down. It wasn't until his foggy mind did register the liquid his arm was moving through that he remembered what was going on. He sighed into the respirator as he opened his eyes. He rolled them up slightly, and saw Vegeta exaggerating a pointing down gesture. He didn't get it until Kakarott held up a scouter and pointed at it, and then lowered his ki.

Radditz' scouter started beeping data at him, and he reached up to turn it off before he noticed it was indicating a great reduction in someone's ki in the room. He opened the door and poked his head inside, "What's going on?" he whispered harshly.

The prince waved a hand at him, not turning back from the tank's window to look in his direction, "The slave woke up. It's...he is consciously suppressing his ki now. Come in and close the door," Vegeta stated.

Radditz did as instructed, and pressed his back up against the interior of the door as he watched his brother bite his nails. He snorted; Kakarott hadn't done that since he was twelve.

"You're awake too early," Kakarott mouthed slowly at the slave. Gohan closed his eyes, and then he opened them again. "10 hours," Kakarott mouthed. Gohan sighed into the respirator and closed his eyes: way too early.

"I think it will be safe to have only one person here at a time now," Vegeta said, "He is actively controlling his ki," he turned to Radditz, "We still need to finish talking. Kakarott, you stay here. I'll come relieve you in another hour so you can get something to eat."

Kakarott nodded, and grinned happily at his brother, "We did it!"

Radditz shook his head, "I am not certain...."

Vegeta grabbed his commander's arm; "I'll explain it better. Right now, it is best if Kakarott and I seem to be at odds...which means I can't stay here." The prince threw one last look at the concubine...Kakarott before opening the door and leaving the room with Radditz following.

Kakarott sank to the floor after the door closed, "This is going to be so difficult," he admitted quietly to himself.

~o0o~

Gohan brought a hand up to cover his eyes as he and Kakarott stepped out a guarded door to the palace. He knew it had been a long time since he had done anything other than glance at the sun...that had probably been the worse thing to happen to him since becoming a slave: not being able to breathe fresh air. Damn...and it was _hot_. He thought he was over reacting, until he looked in the sky and saw _two_ suns. Gohan had forgotten that little detail. "Wow," he murmured.

Kakarott had been looking around, waiting for his brother to join them. Radditz was getting some last minute instructions from Vegeta. He turned to look at the slave's...Gohan's quiet exclamation, and flinched, "Damn, you are pale!" he noticed the other was already sweating and shook his head, "Come on," he said, leading the way away from the wall....

"What about Radditz?" Gohan asked as he hurried to catch up. He didn't want to get out of range of the other brother. He understood Vegeta was nervous about leaving his intended alone with him.  _"Your Highness, if I had wanted to hurt either you or Kakarott for how you treated me while I was a slave, I would have already done so. You'll have to trust me; I have no intention of killing or maiming him. Unfortunately, I will have to hurt him in order to make him stronger."_ Gohan had tried to be as honest about his intentions as possible.

"It's not going to take that long to purchase some cantinas. You aren't going to make it to my father's without some water on this trip," it was only going to take a day to fly to his father's holding, but if the slave was already sweating from just having stepped out from the palace's environmental controls....

Gohan shrugged his pack further up his shoulder, "Good idea," he said, wiping the perspiration from his brow.

"Don't do that," Kakarott recommended as they walked to the entrance of a shop, "Your body is trying to cool you down," he stated.

Gohan shrugged, he hadn't thought much of it. He looked around the odd shop as Kakarott went through different isles, "Can I get some help?" Kakarott asked, holding up full hands.

"Ah...sorry," Gohan said, stepping over to the other and taking some of the items. Two cantinas, a tube of something and, "Salt?" he asked, but only received a knowing shake of the head from the other.

"Sodium," Kakarott corrected, "You really don't know much about Vegeta-sei, do you?" Kakarott asked. He had listened to the slave tell Vegeta about his home planet. A planet that was mostly water and one sun were odd concepts. Apparently the temperatures on Earth were much cooler because of this. He turned towards the door of the shop, stopping at the owner's stall to pay for their items.

They exited back into the street, heading back towards the door they expected Radditz to come out of any moment. "Here," Kakarott said, putting his pack on the ground, indicating the other should follow his example. He pulled the tube he had purchased in the shop from his pack and opened it. He squeezed some of the cream it contained onto his fingers, and held them up to the sla...Gohan's face, "It blocks the suns' affects," he said when the other looked at him questioningly, "Hopefully you won't need to keep using it after a day or two."

"Oh," Gohan said, closing his eyes, and letting the other spread the stuff over his face, neck, ears and hands.

Kakarott shook his head at the small smile that claimed Gohan's features, "You really do care for both of us, don't you?" he asked curiously. For all that Vegeta and he had treated Gohan like the slave he had been...there should have been _some_ bad feelings.

"Yes, I do," was all Gohan answered. He hadn't been able to convince himself what had happened shouldn't have...if he were going to be wished away to become a slave, then, as perverse as it seemed, he couldn't have wished for a better scenario for something so obscene. He _knew_ the two individuals who'd had the most control over his destiny while he was powerless: at least on a basic level. Society and circumstance certainly made for some _interesting_ differences though.

Kakarott smiled as he shook his head, "You know, we were only...."

It was Gohan's turn to shake his head, "I do understand," he said, looking into the other's eyes to get his point across. He backed up quickly though...there was that irritating spark again, and he wasn't going to cave to it. Yes, he did care for Vegeta and Kakarott...a great deal, but he also understood there was no place for him with either of them. Any sexual desires he felt for either of them would have to be suppressed now that he had been freed. It wasn't worth the short time he had here to ruin their relationship: it would prove nothing. And he would be returning to his wife soon...he missed Videl. Gohan sighed, frowning a little...yes, he missed his wife...but....

"I am sorry," Kakarott whispered quietly in misunderstanding. He dropped the tube back into his pack, and pulled out the sodium block, "Here, just lick at it a bit, and then wrap it back up," he instructed the other.

Gohan inspected the grainy candy looking thing before doing as instructed. He made a face, "Ick," he said.

"Your body needs it," Kakarott said, pressing the other's hands back towards his face.

Gohan grimaced, but licked it a couple more times before he wrapped it back up, and placed the remainder in an outside pouch of his pack. If he had the chance, capsule technology was the next thing he was going to share with Bardock, but getting the gravity room built had been a more pressing matter.

The streets were becoming busier. He looked down as something else was pressed into his hands, "You should probably keep this close, but don't drink it all in one go," Kakarott advised. Gohan nodded and opened the cantina, taking a sip to wash away the salty taste left on his tongue.

The door behind them finally opened, and Radditz stepped out. "He's not coming," he told his brother as Kakarott looked behind him expectantly.

Kakarott sighed and nodded before reaching down to pick his pack up from the ground, "You ready?" he asked Gohan, smiling. The slave had expressed great enthusiasm for being able to fly again.

Gohan grinned, "Yeah." His grin became even wider when, for the first time on this planet, he was able to garner enough ki to him in order to fly. He laughed as he took off, the others shaking their head at him and hurrying after.

Gohan slowed down just a bit, "Oh, my god! This feels so good!" he yelled back at the brothers.

Kakarott grinned at him. Gohan was practically purring. Radditz snorted, "Kid, do you know where we are going?" he asked.

Gohan slowed even more, shaking his head, but feeling too great to be embarrassed much. Kakarott chuckled and took the lead, while Radditz stayed behind the other two. Vegeta had been very specific about monitoring the alien's ki.

Gohan came even with Kakarott, and they both grinned at each other. Gohan did a roll, and Kakarott laughed, "Just don't give yourself vertigo, and get sick! And don't forget to drink the water!"

Gohan nodded as he turned his attention back to the ground. The landscape outside of the city had become much more barren. He could tell where other holdings or small cities were by the scattered tree lines in different directions. The broader leaf plant species would not be able to survive without constant tending. He was pretty certain it wasn't just his imagination when he thought the sky was bigger than Earth's. The clouds were much higher than they were flying, and they were a great distance from the ground as it was.

Mountain ranges in the vast distances showed evidence of snow at their very tips. The scientist in him wondered if the landscape below them was introduced to some of the hardier grasses from Earth, if the planet would become cooler...but then, sayians were used to this: this _was_ their home planet, their home environment. Changing it to his tastes wouldn't necessarily be a good thing.

An hour into the flight, Radditz tapped his scouter as it beeped at him, "Yes your Highness?"

Vegeta sat in his private rooms, "How is everything going?" he growled. He'd been edgy ever since Kakarott had left the palace.

"Seems the kid is just happy to be free. Nothing in his demeanor has changed," Radditz informed his prince.

Vegeta sighed and sat back, although he still felt tense, "Okay," he didn't know what else to say.

"I'll call you when we get to my father's or if something happens between now and then?" Radditz asked.

Vegeta nodded, "It's the 'between now and then' part I am concerned about," he admitted quietly.

Radditz shook his head, Vegeta observing the motion through the scouter's lens, "I don't think you have anything to worry about, Prince Vegeta."

"Okay. I have things that need attending to," the prince told his commander. Anything to get his mind off of the situation he'd let his intended wander into.

Radditz nodded, "A good day to you, sir," he wished before he signed out.

~o0o~~o0o~

Videl sat at the kitchen table in Bulma's home. Her arm was propped up on the table, and her forehead in hand. "Why didn't you say anything about this before?" she asked the other two with her eyes closed.

Goku shifted nervously, "I...it's not a subject I am comfortable with."

Vegeta snorted, "You probably would still not know if I hadn't forced him to tell you."

Goku glared at Vegeta. He could have left that part out!

Videl sighed, and opened her eyes, "But there is a good chance that he didn't become...that kind of slave?" she asked, hopeful. How awful for her husband if he was forced to...she didn't want to think about it. Maybe it had been better when she didn't know. She couldn't imagine having to deal with these thoughts for the next six weeks, let alone a whole six months!

"Oh, God," she said as she unexpectedly started to shake. She couldn't stop the trembling or the tears.

"I told you, we shouldn't have told her," Goku whispered to Vegeta just as Mrs. Briefs came into the kitchen.

"Oh, honey!" she said, quickly skirting around the guys, and wrapping a warm, comforting arm around the young woman. "There, there. He'll be back in no time, just you wait and see!" the elderly woman tried to do her best to comfort Videl.

Videl shook her head, pressing it into crook of the frail woman's neck. She couldn't speak right now if she tried.

Pan backed away from the doorway upon seeing her mother crying. It brought tears to her own eyes. She gasped as Vegeta looked back at her with hard eyes, and she turned and ran to the front door.

"Whoa, pardon me," Bulma said as she opened the front door while Pan was making her escape. She set her briefcase down upon entering the kitchen, taking in the atmosphere, "I'll make some tea," she said, glaring at the guys who were just standing there useless.

~o0o~~o0o~

Kakarott's excitement grew the closer they came to his father's holding. Yes, he was going to miss Vegeta greatly, but it had been two years since he had been home!

Radditz shook his head, noticing his brother's pent up energy. Times like this, it was difficult to remember he was only 20 years his senior. Seemed more like 40. He raised an eyebrow as they came in sight of their father's holding, and Kakarott veered off to one of the lab buildings rather than going to the main house.

Kakarott could feel his father's ki where it was in one of the labs. He should have probably taken the time to set his stuff into the house...but he just couldn't wait. He landed at the entrance, and danced from foot to foot while waiting for the motion sensor to kick in and then for the door itself to open, "TADAMEA!" he yelled once he was inside and caught sight of his father's spiked head of hair.

Bardock turned to the sound of his youngest's voice, grinning and opening his arms wide as Kakarott rushed him. He grabbed his son's head between his hands and kissed him soundly on the forehead, "You're taller," he accused.

Kakarott grinned, "All that rich food at the palace," he said back.

Bardock snorted, "You won't be getting that here," he told.

Kakarott laughed and hugged his father again, "Nothing like home cooking! Did you know? No one at the palace even had a clue as to what d'liani was?"

Bardock mock growled, "That's what's wrong with 'em!" and then he laughed. He toned it down a bit as his eldest son came into the building with a stranger at his side, "Radditz," he said, feeling the same amount of enthusiasm, but acting it out much calmer. Radditz nodded towards his father. "And is this the genius that sent me those schematics?" he asked, nodding towards Gohan.

The young man had the audacity to blush, "Yes sir."

Bardock waved a hand, "No sirs here! Bardock...and you would be?"

"Gohan, si...sorry," Gohan said. It was uncanny how much alike father and son looked. Sure, Goten looked the same as Goku, but Goten's hair would grow out long if he let it...he reached a hand self-consciously to his own hair. He had been to see Rose the morning before Kakarott had issued Idomu, and then the surgeon had shaved the back of his head before the surgery.

"Well, come here boy! See what I've accomplished so far," Bardock beckoned to him before turning to lead the way further into the warehouse.

Gohan gaped as they came around the worktables that had been cluttering his view. Most of the building was nothing but empty space. Bardock hit some switches on the floor, and lights in the center of the building came on, illuminating the spherical design of a gravity room. Gohan couldn't help but step even with Bardock...it finally hit him, he was standing next to his sayian grandfather! "Wow...I didn't expect it to be up so fast," he said.

Bardock shrugged, "Had the workers expedite it. Told them they would all get extra paid leave if it was finished in a week."

Gohan nodded, still staring at it, "Have you ran it yet?"

Bardock nodded, "Yep. Had to make sure it wouldn't implode. I could only get it to go as high as 70 times gravity though...I don't know how you thought this design would go to 500 times gravity. Not even ka-chin would be able to stand up to that sort of pressure."

Gohan started at the mention of the metal that had released Rou Dai Kaioshin from the Z-sword. He hadn't realized sayians might have access to that sort of metal, "You're certain you built it correctly?" Gohan asked, stepping closer to the G.R. 70 times gravity wasn't going to be enough to push Kakarott over the edge into elite.

"Absolutely followed your instructions...with a few exceptions. The hole in the glider for the door caused a great amount of inefficiency in its output. It wasn't until I added the slider shields that I was able to get it up to 70 times gravity," Bardock followed the young man to the machine.

Gohan frowned, until Bardock handed over a drawing of the design he was talking about, "Genius!" Gohan laughed, "Has anyone been in it yet?"

Bardock frowned, "I couldn't get anyone who wanted to test it, even at one times gravity. The fruit we put in there squashed at half a gravity interval. People were too eager to imagine their heads."

"And the compression differential?" Gohan asked.

"A tenth of a notch in the inner shell, at full capacity," Bardock stated proudly.

Gohan grinned, that was even better than Bulma's design: even if the capacity wasn't the same, "And the expansion of the outer shell?"

"Doesn't even register," Bardock waved the question off.

Gohan couldn't get the grin off of his face: oh, how he'd missed this type of conversation! "Well, should we try it?" he asked the eldest sayian.

Radditz cleared his throat, "I was ordered to get a ki reading once we arrived," he stated with his arms crossed.

Gohan frowned, not happy about the delay, "Okay, give me your scouter," he said, holding out his hand. Radditz didn't budge, "Come on. The current design will malfunction before it can get a complete reading," he told the commander impatiently.

"How do I know you won't be tampering with it to make it read more than I should?" Radditz asked.

"I can tell how approximately how high his level is raising. I should be able to indicate if the reading is faulty or not," Kakarott spoke up.

Radditz grunted, handing his scouter over, "Do you have somewhere I can work on this?" Gohan asked Bardock.

Bardock nodded and led him over to a bench with various gadgets and components strewn about. Gohan quickly picked up a screwdriver and began opening it. He searched the circuit board, "Do you have any silicon resistors?" he asked Kakarott's father.

"Those are expensive," Bardock said, frowning.

"Yes, but absolutely necessary. I'll only need to add three to the input grid," Gohan said, "Please?"

Bardock sighed and went over to an environmental container. He pressed his code into the door before pulling out one tray, and bringing it over to the boy, "I hope you know what you are doing," he said.

Gohan nodded, and grounded himself to the floor before picking up a pair of tweezers. He used them to pick up the tiny components from the tray, and then place the resistors in place of one he had removed while Bardock was gathering this one. He used his ki to heat the metal of the tweezers to the point he was able to use the tool to solder the components in place: having to bridge them for the lack of individual circuits. He closed the device up, and handed it back to Radditz.

Radditz placed it on his head, and grunted as he turned it on. He tapped in Vegeta's code, "Yes?" he received a response so immediately, it was somewhat startling.

"He is about to increase his ki, your Highness," Radditz stated, turning the scouter to look at Gohan.

"Um..." Gohan fidgeted, "I only fixed your scouter. Prince Vegeta, will you please turn yours off? Radditz can reconnect once he's gotten the reading."

Vegeta stared at the screen, "I hope you are not pulling some sort of trick boy."

Gohan shook his head, "No, your Highness, please?"

Vegeta sighed, and shut his scouter down.

"Okay, show us what you've got kid," Radditz said.

Gohan nodded, and closed his eyes. He started pulling energy in and letting it flow through him....

"50,000," Radditz stated, surprised. The kid wasn't even trying!

Vegeta sat impatiently, waiting for his commander to call him back. It shouldn't be taking this long! He heard some commotion in the hall, and in his boredom went to check. "Fucking thing just blew up on me!" a common solder was telling his companion, a ruined scouter smoking in his hands.

"85,000," Radditz was beginning to sweat. Vegeta had only hit this a handful of times, one of those times in the training room when he had been sent to emergency room, and had told Kakarott of the prince's behavior. The other times had been in battle.

Kakarott stood in awe as Gohan kept increasing his ki. Bardock noted the signs of someone powering up: the kid's hair, even as short as it was, was starting to waver on its own.

"120,000," Radditz stated quietly, his arms coming down from his chest.

Gohan grinned, opening his eyes. Kakarott wasn't very comforted by the lunacy he thought he detected there, and then Gohan started power up in earnest. He threw his head back and roared. The changes in the data happened so fast at that point, Radditz wasn't able to keep up with them, and he gulped.

Vegeta was about to close his door when the other solder's scouter blew up on him at the same time he felt a ki wave, "What the fuck!?"

"Told ya," the first solder said.

"Were they turned on?" Vegeta asked from his door.

Both solders looked up and gulped, "Y-yes, your Highness," one of them stammered.

Vegeta frowned, as he shut his door. What was going on!? The power he felt kept rising!

Everyone in the warehouse was thrown back by the last surge of ki and the gravity room rocked on its stabilizers, before Gohan brought his head back down, shaking out his arms, "Well?" he asked Radditz from where the commander sat on the floor.

Radditz just sat and looked at the number that was _holding steady_. "Well?" Kakarott echoed quietly.

It took great effort on Radditz' part to get his tongue to work, "5,000,080,002," he whispered. He was in the presence of a fucking GOD!

Kakarott swallowed as his throat suddenly became dry as the numbers relayed more meaning to him than his still improving ki senses. He...he was going to get trained by _this_? This was someone who could destroy planets! Galaxies! And his body was going to be subjected to it?!

Bardock shifted slightly, but stilled as this stranger turned his gaze in his direction, "Okay, kid," he said quietly, "You've proven your point," any elite pumped up to 75,000 was automatically in battle mode. He had to get the kid to calm down before he did something rash.

Gohan shuddered...it was so difficult to let go though! It had been too long since he had felt his ki run through him! "If you want to test the G.R., you have to calm down. Not even the machine is going to be able to handle that," Bardock stated quietly.

Gohan nodded his head, panting as he let the energy go slowly. It was a difficult task. Usually he was able to channel the excess into an attack of some sort.

Vegeta paced back and forth in his chambers. He had repeatedly dismissed calls to an emergency council meeting. He wouldn't go until he heard back from his commander, damn it!

The status button on his scouter changed to yellow, and he picked it up quickly, fitting it over his head before he clicked it on, "Radditz?! What the fuck is going on!?"

"Y-your Highness," Radditz stuttered. "I don't know if you are going to believe me," he stalled.

"Scouters started exploding, Radditz. An emergency council was called minutes ago. Just tell me," Vegeta said as he sat down.

"5,000,080,002," Radditz said.

"Holy shit," Vegeta replied back quietly, "He's Legendary. No, beyond Legendary."

"His...his coloring didn't change," Radditz said in confusion.

Vegeta snorted. Most of the tales of Legendary were myth any way...being of yellow hair and green eyes or not, this kid had gone beyond the milestone everyone agreed it would take to make Legendary: at least three times over. "Any thing else?" he asked.

"No...dad was able to get him to suppress it, or release it," Radditz said back.

"And he is acting normal now?" Vegeta asked.

"What the fuck is normal any more?" Radditz questioned, "Your Highness," he added, a little embarrassed from his outburst.

Vegeta grunted. He'd be shocked enough to forget titles also, "Okay. Everyone is unharmed?" he willed his hands to stop shaking. He had sent Kakarott away with a monster! Benevolent, but a monster all the same!

"No injuries, sir," Radditz confirmed.

"What am I going to tell the council?" Vegeta asked himself out loud.

"Tell them one of my experiments went bad," Bardock said, the prince's voice loud enough he had been able to over hear the conversation.

Vegeta grinned, "Tell your father he's a genius!"

Radditz laughed shakily, "I will. Good luck, your Highness," he said before he tuned out. "Prince Vegeta says you are a genius," Radditz told his father.

Bardock grunted, "Of course I am," he waved the compliment off, "You okay, kid? Kakarott?" he turned to the others in the room.

Gohan panted and nodded. Kakarott nodded with his eyes still wide.

"How about that gravity chamber then?" Bardock asked, anxious to get everyone's minds on something else.

Gohan straightened up and nodded, "Yeah," he said before walking over to the machine, "You lowered the floor?" he asked while stepping in.

Bardock shrugged, "No one is going to be using it much, it was wasted space," he replied as he followed Gohan into the machine, heading for the control panel, "This is the external communication," he said, pointing out something he had added, "This will allow us to monitor what's going on inside."

Gohan nodded, "Okay. Well, you step out."

Bardock nodded. His workers may not have wanted to experiment on themselves, but this kid could obviously handle the pressure. He closed the door from the outside before going over to the monitoring equipment, and flipping a couple of switches, "Can you hear me?" he asked.

Gohan nodded, and Bardock could see it in the camera, "Yeah. I am going to start with one level. We'll see how it runs before going higher," he stated before turning to the control panel.

Radditz and Kakarott crowded around Bardock as the machine started to make a whirring noise. "Whoa," they heard Gohan say over the speaker.

"Something wrong?" Bardock asked.

Gohan shook his head, "No," he had just figured something out though. This was one times Vegeta-sei's gravity...which meant 10 times more on Earth. He grinned, "No, better than expected!" Bardock grinned. "Going to two times," Gohan said over the speaker while he increased his ki to compensate.

Kakarott noticed that the clothing had plastered itself to Gohan's body, and gulped. He was supposed to train with _that_ in _there_?

"Okay. Here goes. Going to slowly increase until I am at max," Gohan warned those outside.

Bardock nodded, "Understood."

Gohan increased his ki as he slowly slid the switch up until it was at max. The whirring the machine had started with became un-hearable at 5 times. He was sweating, and grinning by the time the machine reached 50. H grunted with the strain to stay on his feet without raising his ki at 60. He grit his teeth, and increased his ki one last time to get the machine to 70, "Okay," he said slowly, "Going to let it run a few more seconds before backing it down," he said to those outside.

"Acknowledged," Bardock replied. The three of them waited expectantly until the indicator lights flashed green and the door opened.

Gohan stepped out and smiled, "Perfect!" he said, "I didn't notice any compression though," he started.

"Actually, the compression doesn't start until 80 g's. It's just a safety measure. The 1/10 of a notch was at 100 g's," Bardock explained.

Gohan chuckled, and then drew his grandfather into a hug, swinging him around, "Perfect!"

"Okay kid," Bardock grunted, "Can you put me down?"

Gohan smiled, setting the older sayian to his feet, "Sorry. This is just exciting!"

Bardock shook his head, ruffling his hand through the kid's hair, "That it certainly is. For some reason, I expected you to be much older," he commented seemingly off handedly, but his eyes shifted ever so slightly to his eldest. Radditz didn't quite understand what the look was about, so he ignored it. Bardock shook his head, "I call you kid, but you're probably as old as Kakarott..." he started.

Gohan did a double take at that. He was as old as his...he finally looked at Kakarott; really _looked_. He had been 'with' him for almost five Earth months, and the concept of their ages had never hit him. Still, he didn't look as old as his father, did he? "I don't know, sir. I am 28," he stated.

"Ah, not too far off. My youngest is 27," Bardock said, "Well, how about we get you guys something to eat?" Gohan only nodded as he followed the others to the main house. Not only had he been throw across universal lines, but back in time in this one? Why?

There was a very awkward moment before they began eating as Gohan began to take his accustomed place on the floor. He blushed as everyone looked at him before he pulled a chair out, seating himself between Radditz and his father, "Sorry," he said before turning his eyes to his plate, and began eating.

Bardock raised one eyebrow at Kakarott; so this part of the rumors was true, "So, kid, Kakarott indicated you had some other things you wanted to show me while you are all here?"

Gohan nodded, "Yes. Plans for capsules, and if you have the resources, reconstructing a very useful plant extract."

"Capsules?" Bardock asked between mouthfuls.

Gohan grinned, "Yes. Much easier storage for things...it's kind of hard to explain," he started.

Bardock held up his hand, "Then eat. We can discuss this later tonight, or even tomorrow if you are staying?"

Kakarott cleared his throat, "I-I guess I wasn't too clear on that part." Bardock gave him a look, and he continued, "I will be here for a year, if you'll have me. I issued Idomu yesterday."

Bardock sat back in his chair, "Well. I guess the rumors were true then. You cancelled your concubine contract?"

Kakarott nodded slowly, "Yes, but it's not all it seems...."

Gohan smiled, "Kakarott's not going for first class. He's going for elite."

Radditz spit out the mouthful of water he had taken in. Vegeta's two faced actions and graciousness towards his brother during this whole situation was suddenly made _more_ clear. Bardock's frown slowly became a wicked grin, "Like him, do you?" he asked his youngest.

"Yes, sir," Kakarott grinned back.

"And he likes Kakarott," Gohan confirmed.

Bardock threw his head back and laughed, "Oh...this is great!" Kakarott blushed.

With the most worrisome topic out of the way, the conversation became much more animated between the family members, and Gohan ate in silence as he took it all in.

"Leave them," Bardock said as Gohan picked up his dishes, "I'll have one of the staff cover this. You three traveled a ways today. Why don't you two," he looked at his sons, "Show our guest to a room, so he can get settled in?"

Kakarott went to go and retrieve his pack from the floor while Gohan followed him before leading him up a flight of stairs, with Radditz at their backs. Kakarott stopped in front of one room, "You can have this one," he said as he reached his hand into the doorway, and flipped on a light switch so Gohan could see what he was getting himself into. It wasn't huge, by any means, but there was plenty of space...and a desk! He grinned as he entered, setting his bag down on the bed. He even had his own shower and bathroom!

"Well, I'll leave you to get settled in then," Kakarott said from the doorway.

Gohan turned to him, "Thank you!" but the other had already headed towards his room. The tailless sayian turned back to his pack, and dumped it out on the bed, looking around the room figuring out where to start putting things. Not that he had much. The journal and few writing instruments he had taken with him went on the desk. The clothing Kakarott had given him went into the closet. He took what was left of the cantina to the bathroom and dumped it out in the small sink. Then he placed it back in the pack, and shoved that to the back of the closet on the floor.

He ran his hands through his hair, wondering what to do with himself next. He grimaced as they came back oily, and decided a shower was most definitely next. He went into the side room, frowning upon his inspection. It was so small compared to...then he chuckled at himself. Even as a slave in the palace, he had become spoiled in something! He shook his head as he exited the room. Seemed someone had forgotten to stock his bathroom with towels.

He turned the left hearing someone in the room next to the flight of stairs. He knocked on the door, "Enter!" he heard Radditz' voice. He shifted uncomfortably at the thought of interrupting the commander, but opened the door to the room any way.

"Commander Radditz?" he called out, not seeing the sayian immediately upon entering.

"In here boy. And you can cut the commander shit. We both know you could tear my head off if you wanted," came the apparently disgruntled sayian's voice.

Gohan followed the commander's voice. He walked into the bathroom, expecting a similar design as the one in his room, and so was a bit shocked when the first thing set in his sight was the shower itself, "Oh, sorry," he stammered stepping back a bit as he caught sight of Radditz' form through the frosted door that kept the water from spreading out to the rest of the room.

Radditz peered at him over the door, "What's a matter kid? I think you know all about bodies. No need to be shy," he raised an eyebrow as the slave...Gohan actually blushed at his words.

"Yes, I mean no! I mean, I didn't mean to interrupt your privacy!" Gohan stammered. Gods, his uncle was tall!

Radditz shook his head, "Whatever. I shower in the barracks while at the palace, and space travel has even less luxury. I hardly ever have anyone concerned about my privacy. What did you need?" he finally asked.

"A towel," Gohan said, more comfortable with this subject at least, "And some soap." He wasn't expecting Radditz to open that door, and hold out a bar of soap to him.

"Come on kid. The hot water isn't unlimited around here," Radditz spoke quietly.

Gohan hesitantly stepped forward to reach for the bar, his eyes curiously wandering on their own. He could have smacked himself when he realized what he was doing, and quickly looked up to the smirking look on his uncle's face, "Like what you see, kid?" Radditz asked quietly.

"I-I-I..." Gohan couldn't get any words out.

Radditz shook his head again, and closed the door slowly with the aid of his tail, "If you weren't acting so shy about it, I'd ask you in to help wash my hair," he snorted. The kid may have ki potential greater than anyone in the known universe, but Radditz thought he just might be able to kill him with a heart attack...or a nose bleed, "Towels are behind you," he said, pointing over the shower door behind the kid's head.

Gohan made an indescribable noise as he quickly turned to grab one of the towels off of the shelf indicated without actually looking and hurried back to his room. He slammed the shower room door shut, and leaned against it, panting. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" he asked himself. When no immediate answers were forthcoming, he started stripping out of his clothing.

He was actually able to smile at his foolishness by the time the water started cooling down. He stepped out, and dried off, wrapping his towel around his waist when he realized he hadn't brought a change of clothing in with him. He frowned as he stepped towards the closet, catching sight of his piercings in the mirrored closet door. He toyed with the one at his neck for a moment, "Should have had Rose do it if you are thinking about removing those?" he heard his uncle's voice from behind him.

Gohan whirled, barely catching the towel from dropping off his hips. He gapped at the sayian he saw dressed in civilian clothing leaning against the doorway to his room. He quickly turned back to the mirror, "I am not a slave any more," he whispered at the floor as he retightened the towel around his waist.

"What's that kid?" Radditz asked, moving further into the room.

Gohan flushed red, both in embarrassment and a little anger. He was beginning to suspect this man was intentionally pushing at his comfort zones, "I said, I am not a slave any more," he repeated more forcefully than he had intended, but he didn't want this person thinking that just because he had been...what he had, he was going to be an easy target.

Radditz frowned; maybe he was being too forward? But that was just the way he was; why did he feel the need to change the way he usually operated if this wasn't the correct approach to this individual? "You sure aren't," he commented after an extended pause. He couldn't help looking at the extremely pale skin exposed to his view, surprised by a couple of faint and fading scars on the kid's back. Vegeta had flogged him? He hadn't thought the prince's and the slave's relationship had been that dark. Were they from before Gohan had become a part of his prince's life? He reached up to run a curious finger over one, and found himself flipped onto Gohan's mattress before he had taken another breath.

"Don't, touch, me," Gohan hissed at him.

"Whoa...didn't mean anything by it, kid. Just curious where you got those," Radditz said quietly. The only response he received was a shudder from the one leaning over him before Gohan removed his hands.

"I'd like a little privacy to get dressed," he said, not looking up.

Radditz shifted off the mattress, and straightened his clothing as he stood, "We'll be having drinks down below, if you care to join us," Radditz said, giving the other one last look before closing the door behind him as he left.

~o0o~~o0o~

  
  


 


	8. Chapter 7

##  _Idomu_

### By [Macha ](mailto:bynp@comcast.net)

### Chapter 7

 

"You ready?" Kakarott heard Gohan's voice.

"Yeah, lets do this," Kakarott said, turning around in the big metal room.

Gohan pressed the button to close the door before walking over to the control panel, "We're going to take it as slow as possible," Gohan said. He knew they were both anxious to get Kakarott to elite, but he didn't want to kill him in the process. Even with a regeneration tank housed in the same building, there was always the off chance something could go disastrous. "Going to one g," Gohan said through the intercom.

"Understood," Bardock acknowledged.

Kakarott looked around as the machine began to hum, "Don't worry," Gohan said, "Once we start training, it will become white noise."

Kakarott nodded, suddenly feeling the effects of the gravity increasing, "Wow."

Gohan smiled, "Good?"

"Yeah. Just, let me get used to this first," Kakarott said, walking around. He levitated a bit, his landing a little harsh when he came back to the floor, not having set his legs properly. He tried it again with much better results, "Okay, I think we can go up another."

Radditz frowned from outside looking at the monitors, but didn't say anything. Gohan increased the gravity by another level, "And?"

Kakarott grunted, "I think we'll stay here."

"And I am going to go work on those schematics you drew up last night," Bardock said over the intercom, "Since we don't have all the chemicals necessary for the senzu formula you were talking about."

Gohan nodded his understanding and then matched his ki to Kakarott's, "Okay, we'll start with speed. Remember those katas I showed you at the palace?" he asked. He smiled when Kakarott nodded, "Okay, we'll start with those. Take it slow until I say so," Gohan coached. He watched Kakarott go through the routine, monitoring his body carefully, "Flex your legs more, and don't over extend your elbows. You can get away with that under normal gravity, but it will sprain or tear something here," he instructed. Kakarott nodded and focused more on those couple of things, making similar adjustments to his poses where he felt he was making the same mistakes.

"Okay, now, come at me," Gohan said, crouching into a defensive stance.

Kakarott's first three rounds were slow and calculated, as he had to concentrate on what he was doing, along with what the environment was throwing at him. The forth one flowed a little smoother, but he was already sweating. "Faster," Gohan coached, and despite his doubts, Kakarott picked up his speed.

A while later, Radditz' scouter beeped at him, and he clicked it on, "Report," he heard Vegeta's voice over the link.

"They've been at it for an hour at two times gravity. Kakarott's showing signs of tiring, but Gohan is pushing him to continue, your Highness," Radditz said.

"And your assessment of the situation?" Vegeta asked.

"I think Gohan is keeping Kakarott's best interests in mind," Radditz said: yes, the kid was pushy, but Radditz could tell there was understanding for limitations in his training choices.

"The council was very interested when I told them what your father had been working on. They don't know that he has a working model yet though," Vegeta told his commander, "I'd like to keep it that way for as long as possible," he continued.

"Understood," Radditz said.

"Report to me again when they are through for the day," Vegeta commanded.

"Yes, sir," Radditz said before signing off. The awe he had felt when the kid had first powered up was beginning to wear off, and he found himself watching the other like he would any other normal sayian he found attractive. After a while, he also found himself critiquing the kid's training choices. If he had been in charge of this, it wouldn't be so easy for his brother in some areas, like he would have forced him up to three times gravity by now, and other areas he wouldn't even be training. What was the concern with speed all about any way?

He cringed as his brother lost his footing, and took a knee, "Water break," Gohan's clear, though accented, voice came over the intercom audio as he went to the control panel and turning the simulator off.

Kakarott stumbled to the door as he followed the other out, "Gods, only water?" he asked.

Gohan turned to look at him, and read his ki closer, "I guess a food break wouldn't be too bad for you either."

"I got it!" Bardock yelled across the warehouse having heard this part of the conversation.

Gohan shook his head as the other flopped to the floor. That was certainly a characteristic his dad didn't have, "You'd better stretch," he told the other knowingly. Kakarott groaned as he stood back to his feet, and started stretching as suggested. "And this is the easy part," Gohan sighed.

Kakarott blanched, "Easy?"

"This first week is going to be all about getting you up to level 50, and possibly 70. Next week, is when we start combating," Gohan advised gravely.

"Ancestors help me," Kakarott whispered, "One week to get to 50?"

Radditz frowned while listening in on the conversation. It shouldn't take that much to get his brother to the elite level, but he kept his mouth shut. Better not to argue with the teacher in front of the student.

"Believe me, you will be using the tank, despite not having any visible injuries," Gohan stated.

"You're not making me feel any better about this," Kakarott said back.

"Is it worth it?" Gohan asked, and received a sudden harsh glare from the other.

"He is more than worth it," Kakarott hissed back.

"Keep that in mind," Gohan said before they were interrupted by a group of people carrying food trays and water jugs their direction. Kakarott tore into the food with quite an appetite, even for him.

~o0o~

Kakarott groaned as he literally crawled out of the G.R. Now he knew why the former slave had held no harsh feelings for him...he was going to take the compensation necessary out of his hide. They had finished at seven times gravity this first day, "Oh, gods," he whimpered as a medical team laid him out on a stretcher to take him to the regeneration tank.

Gohan stretched as he listened to Radditz' report to Vegeta, "...made it to seven times gravity today...no sir, his ki is too weak at the moment to tell if there has been an improvement...probably would be a good idea sir...understood, your Highness," Radditz said, shutting down the link.

Gohan grimaced at the look he received from Radditz as the older brother turned to him, "Vegeta's going to send an extra shipment of tank fluid," the commander told him.

"That is a good idea," Gohan said before bending down and touching his toes. He wasn't in the best shape himself, even though he had tried while he had no ki.

"You going back to the house?" Radditz asked.

Gohan stood and shook his head, "No, he'll probably be sleeping here tonight. I thought I saw some cots over there," he said, pointing to the front of the warehouse.

Radditz grunted, "Those are usually for short naps during the hottest part of the day. It gets cold out here at night."

"Oh...the tank is heated, right?" Gohan asked. It wouldn't do Kakarott's muscles any good to seize up.

"Yes, it is," Bardock stated as he came back from the tank, "I increased the protein, potassium and sodium levels in the fluid," he informed them.

"How much protein," Gohan asked concerned.

"50 inks per cubic notch," Bardock said confused.

"That's too much!" Gohan said, hurrying towards the tank, "He'll gain too much untried muscle," he explained as the other two caught up to him.

"Hadn't thought about that," Bardock acknowledged, "How much then?"

"15 inks today...we'll see how tomorrow goes," he said as he made some quick adjustments to the fluid constituents control. He peered inside the tank's portal window at the person suspended in the fluid, and sighed.

"Will you be coming to the house for supper?" Bardock asked.

Gohan shook his head, "If you don't mind, I'll eat out here. He may be sleeping, but he can still feel my ki. He'll know I am here when he wakes."

Both Radditz and Bardock looked interested in this information, "This is about the third time I've heard you mention this 'feeling ki'," Radditz said, "Care to tell us a bit about it?"

Gohan grinned, "Sure. It's something I learned to do when I was very young. I was able to teach both Prince Vegeta and Kakarott how to do it, I am certain the two of you can learn also, if you are interested."

Bardock grinned, rubbing his hands together, "I always like learning a new ki technique. I don't get to train often with the work I have going on here though," he commented before turning to the entry of the warehouse.

"What's he doing?" Gohan asked Radditz.

"Probably ordering food for us to have down here," Radditz said, relaxing his stance. "Mind training me when you are done with my brother?" he finally asked. There had been some interesting physical styles the young warrior had exhibited in the GR. "I am certain Prince Vegeta will grant me the time off needed."

Gohan flinched. He would be happy to train the other brother...if he knew he was still going to be here, "Um, sure," he lied quietly.

"Over here boys!" Bardock shouted as he came back into the lab, "We can eat and go over these capsule plans," he said, "Hopefully, it won't take a whole army of staff to bring dinner down if I get the use of this technology correctly!"

Gohan smiled, leading the way to where Bardock stood at a workbench. Currently, the only things laid out on the table were a few thin pieces of metals, and the quick drawings he'd jotted down the night before, "Do you have carbon alloys?" Gohan asked.

Bardock scratched his head; "I don't know that anyone has thought about adding metal to carbon for anything. Seems like it would be kind of brittle."

"Well, it is. But it reacts well to rapid expansion and contraction," Gohan told him.

"That seems sort of contradictory," Bardock concluded.

There was suddenly a plate laid out on the table in front of him, and one in front of Gohan, "Eat and talk," Radditz said, biting into a turnover of some sort.

Gohan took a bite of the one that had been set out before him, "Well, carbon has a very fractal molecular structure," he mumbled around his mouthful. Radditz rolled his eyes.

"Okay, and?" Bardock did the same thing around his mouthful.

"The point is to be able to break it apart at the molecular level, but also be able to program it to come back together in the same sequence," Gohan explained, before taking a drink from the mug Radditz plopped on the table.

"How do you program carbon to do anything? Wouldn't silicon be better?" Bardock asked, wiping his chin with the back of his hand.

"That's why it has to be an alloy," Gohan continued, "And, silicon actually fuses together...eventually."

"Oh," Bardock said thoughtfully, "What kind of metal?"

Radditz shook his head and left the conversation to the geniuses turned pigs.

~o0o~

Kakarott woke in the tank. He groaned and stretched everything slowly, even his tail. When he finally settled back down, he could feel several others outside the tank. He smiled as he felt his brother, father, and Gohan.

Radditz grinned, "I can feel him waking," he whispered with his eyes closed.

Bardock nodded, "I...I think I may have always had an instinct for this," he said quietly.

"Why's that?" Gohan asked.

"Well, he does actually feel stronger...and before today, if I hadn't known how to do this, I wouldn't have been able to make a comparison," Bardock explained.

Gohan grinned, "Well, you are correct. He is stronger."

Radditz got up and tapped at the plexiglass. He gave his brother a thumb up when he opened his eyes. Kakarott slowly closed and opened his eyes in acknowledgement. "I don't know about the rest of you, but this exercise has put me in a very relaxed mood. I am going to bed," he said to the other two. The kid's voice instructing him gently while he had been in an almost meditative state had been incredibly soothing.

Gohan stretched his arms out, "Yeah...I think I am done for the day," he said as he got up and headed towards the cots to pull one closer to the tank.

"Don't mean to be rude, but wouldn't you like to shower?" Radditz asked as they headed the same direction.

Gohan chuckled, "I hadn't even thought about it," he told the other truthfully. He'd been in several battles during his life that had taken days...bathing hadn't been an option. Of course, with any luck, he'd be able to do this for a month...yeah, showers were going to have to be taken.

"I am going to go back to work on this," Bardock said as he pointed towards the capsule lay out, "If you want to go up to the house, Kakarott won't be alone for a little while."

Gohan grinned, "I'll take you up on that, sir."

"What did I tell you about sir-ing me?" Bardock asked in disgust.

Radditz laughed and Gohan shook his head as they exited.

Radditz led the way up the stairs, before turning into his room, "You should take your blankets down to the warehouse for tonight," he advised the other.

Gohan nodded, "I will," he said before he stepped into his room. Of course, he didn't know how much use it was going to be to him...

He sighed as he entered his shower room. Someone had been kind enough to take his towel, but not kind enough to leave him another. He stalked out of his bedroom, "Radditz!" he said loudly, hoping to catch the other before he'd stripped down.

Gohan almost ran into the commander as the other came out of his room, carrying exactly what he needed. Radditz grinned, "Some of the help have a sense of humor?"

"I guess," Gohan said taking the towel from the other, "Thank you," he stood stone still as Radditz reached for the piercing at his neck.

"I think it would be best if you removed those before you start the combat training," Radditz said quietly, fully aware he had the other's undivided attention focused on him.

Gohan shivered, and then chastised himself for his conditioned response, "G-good idea," he had felt the odd pressure they added when the gravity had been turned up as well.

"I can help you, if you would like," Radditz offered. The kid _was_ beautiful...and dangerous. The combination sent a shiver down his spine, and he made a decision, he wasn't certain he would regret later or not. He wittingly used the hold he had on the other to pull Gohan closer.

Gohan's feet shifted forward without him giving them a conscious command to do so, "O-k" his response was cut short as Radditz leaned his head down and covered his lips gently with his own. He dropped the towel in order to push at Radditz' chest: well, he had meant for it to be a push, but it ended up being groping instead. He finally forced himself to step back, "I am not a slave any more," he declared quietly; if the other thought he was going to be an easy target....

Radditz let go of the piercing, "I don't...I don't want the slave." When had he become so infatuated with this youth?! _The day you bought him._ His thoughts teased him with the memory of seeing the kid getting rough housed by the guards. He should have known better; he saw that kind of shit everyday. Why had it bothered him _that_ time?

Gohan reached for the towel on the floor as he saw the other was lost in his own thoughts. He had just turned to escape to his rooms when he felt both an arm and a tail wrap around his body, turn him, and then he was being picked up, held to the older sayian's body, as he was kissed forcefully.

Radditz picked Gohan up and crushed his lips to the other's as he hooked the young sayian's legs around his hips, tangling Gohan's ankles together with his tail. He turned towards his room while carrying the other, "Put me down!" Gohan gasped as he drew in a quick breath.

Radditz growled, "Make me," he said before attacking the kid's mouth with his again. He threw his scouter on the bed as Gohan punched weakly at his shoulder, "Are you fighting me? Or your self?" the commander asked before he kissed down Gohan's neck.

Gohan whined as he fisted his hands in Radditz hair; if he really didn't want this to happen, he could make it stop. Why wasn't he making it stop? "I-I'm not ready," he gasped. He hadn't even been out of the palace a full two days yet! His mind was screaming this was his uncle, but his body...oh how his body wanted _this_. What had he let himself become?

Radditz slowed his exploration of the other's skin with his mouth, and shook his head in hopes to clear it from the lust that had fogged him in, "Okay," he whispered before he pressed his lips back to the other's as he set Gohan on his feet. He swore to himself he had tried to pull back, but the other kept their lips locked with the hold he still had in his hair, "Kid," he mumbled around their kiss.

"Mmmmm?" Gohan asked. The kissing was nice.

"Don't tease me...please," Radditz answered.

Gohan drew back, biting his lower lip, "Sorry," he whispered before taking a steadying breath.

Radditz smoothed a rough palm over Gohan's cheek. Why was he rushing into this? "We....I...you are welcome to shower with me. I won't do anything," he finally spit out. He was 48 for Ancestors' sake! He'd had whores younger than this man. Why the fuck couldn't he get hold of himself?!

Gohan pulled Radditz' hand from his face to hold it between his own, biting at his lower lip again as he thought. This sayian wouldn't know if he never told. It was a mutual attraction, other wise, right? "Okay," he finally whispered, ignoring his moral guilt and caving to his carnal craving, drawing the other towards the shower by his gentle hold, and Radditz was the one to follow as though he was on the leash.

Gohan stopped when the shower door made him. He reached back to open it, cursing as it refused to collaborate with him. Radditz wrapped his tail around the other's wrist, pulling his hand away from the door, before opening it himself. He stepped closer so he could turn the handles, and then stepped back, "It takes a moment to warm up," he explained as he closed the door and started to take his shirt off.

He watched as Gohan nodded, and followed his example. Radditz growled quietly at the nipple piercings; he may not want the slave, but those made his blood boil. He undid the holds of his shoes before chucking them into a corner. He finally stripped off his pants giving Gohan an apologetic look for the erection he was sporting, "Sorry."

Gohan shook his head, taking his own pants off, "No, seems the feeling is mutual," he answered.

Radditz shook his head as he opened the door to check the temperature, "You're sure..." gods, was he going to be able to control himself?

"I-If you're okay with it," Gohan replied.

Radditz growled as he stepped into the shower, pulling the other with him. "Maybe...this was a mistake," Radditz grit his teeth. There wasn't enough room in the shower for the two of them without rubbing against each other.

"Well, I am wet now," Gohan said, blushing as he realized that the statement could be taken the wrong way.

Radditz closed his eyes, "Fuck...I am getting out," he said, reaching for the door. Gohan's hand on his wrist stopped him.

"I-I'm not ready for sex," he said beginning to lower himself to his knees.

Radditz growled, stopping the once slave now revealed warrior from going any lower than he had by a hand under the arm, "No..." he said, wrapping the other's erection with his tail, "We'll get through this, this way," he said, squeezing gently.

Gohan gasped, but nodded, reaching for the other with his hand. Radditz growled, closing his eyes and leaning his head back on the wall behind him. He panted as that hand surrounded and jerked him off...so strange.

Gohan leaned his forehead onto Radditz' chest as the other continued to use his tail with great talent, "Oh, god..." he closed his eyes as hands started running through his hair, and finally kneading his shoulders. His gasps came closer together, each one more desperate than the last. With Kakarott, he'd had an excuse: survival. Now, when he had to power to remove himself from a similar situation, he found he completely lacked the desire to do so. The smell and the touch of the other were claiming him; threading through him...affecting him in ways neither the prince nor concubine had...how different from them would he taste?

Radditz grunted as Gohan did what he had stopped him from doing before any way. "Kid, you're going to kill me," he whispered as the other continued to suck on him.

Gohan gasped, and then screamed around the cock in his mouth as he came. Radditz shuddered as he released into Gohan's mouth at the vibrations caused by the other's stifled noise.

They both stood panting as the water pelted unnoticed at their skin. Radditz was the first to move, groaning as he reached for the soap. He ran it lazily over the other's spine as Gohan leaned against his torso, before running it more fully over the rest of Gohan's body. He tilted the other's chin up to kiss him, licking his tongue along the other's chin before twining it with the kid's, and then passed him the bar of soap.

Gohan washed Radditz, noticing how the other would shiver when he trailed his fingers over certain areas. He was having a wonderful time exploring when his wrist was caught up in the other's large hand, "You want me to keep my hands off...you'd better keep this simple," Radditz half growled at him. Gohan nodded, and became more serious about what he was doing.

Too soon for either of them cleanliness was achieved, and Radditz was reaching behind Gohan in order to turn the water off. They both stepped out of the shower, Radditz grabbing a couple of towels and tossing one in Gohan's direction. Gohan stilled as Radditz reached for his piercings again, "Relax, kid. Just taking them off," he coaxed, beginning again when Gohan nodded.

Neck, nipples and navel were easy to remove, although Gohan shivered as each ring was pressed into his hand. The one in the tongue was a little difficult for Radditz to get his big fingers around, so Gohan used the mirror to widen it so the spacer fell out. They both blushed when Gohan said, "One more."

Radditz looked around the bathroom, before grabbing Gohan's hand, and leading him into the bedroom where he pressed the other to sit on the mattress. Gohan leaned back, shuddering as Radditz went to work on the last one.

Radditz pressed the last ring into Gohan's hand that already held the others, "You'd better go," he stated, his voice rough with suppressed emotion.

Gohan nodded climbing unsteadily to his feet, "Thank you," he said quietly before exiting the commander's bedroom.

Radditz closed his door after the other left, leaning his head against it, and punching at the wall, cringing at the hole he made, "Dad is _not_ going to be happy about that."

~o0o~

Radditz watched his brother and Gohan on the monitor again. This was the last day he'd be here for a while: tomorrow he would be going back to the palace. Kakarott's progress was amazing. There were times he couldn't even keep up with them visually, even if they were in an enclosed space.

There had been one incident with a tail sprain, but the senzu project his father had interrupted himself on the capsule project for had astounding results. Not only had it healed Kakarott's tail instantly, but it had also revitalized him. Radditz had been able to get a full ki progress report in the _middle_ of the day, rather than the morning after.

Radditz was able to get a good look at the two of them in the room as Kakarott knelt on the floor, holding one arm to his side, "If you are going to give up now, I think I'll go back to the palace and claim Vegeta as my own."

"Stupid move kid," Radditz growled as his brother's yell and increase of ki caused shockwaves to go through the warehouse despite the fact the two of them were in the chamber.

The commander shifted uncomfortably at the next thing he could see in the room; Gohan grinning despite the blood pouring out of his nose and mouth, his brother pressing an elbow to the kid's throat, "Knew you had more in you," Gohan teased as he licked his lips. Radditz had to turn away from the monitor as lust for the youth filled his mind, and jealousy at his brother's proximity twisted his gut.

He growled at his father's knowing look, but left the building before the other could say anything. "Radditz! Report!" the link on the scouter suddenly halted his retreat.

"Kid said he was going to come and claim you. Kakarott got pissed," Radditz told his prince. He should have known the other would have made contact at that last explosion of power.

"That was pretty stupid," Vegeta commented.

"I thought so also," Radditz replied, "But apparently it got the reaction he wanted."

Vegeta chuckled, "I'll try to keep these pop ups to a minimum. I just get excited every time I feel an increase!"

Radditz shook his head. He was becoming more and more used to these little conversations with Vegeta when the prince wasn't acting like...well, the prince!

"So, why are you outside instead of monitoring the situation?" Vegeta asked, a sly catch in his voice.

Radditz growled, almost taking the scouter off and throwing it in the dirt, "You know why. I can't wait to get back to the capital!"

"Running away is not going to help. You'll have to see him again, sooner or later," Vegeta advised.

Radditz growled, kicking at a helpless stone, "Hopefully he will have wrapped his mind around the idea...what ever that means!" This conversation was just weird. He was talking to the prince about the lover he hoped to have, that had been the prince's slave...that _he_ had bought for him as a gift.

"He's a good kid," Vegeta encouraged.

"I don't want to hear how good he is from you, Prince Vegeta," Radditz growled.

"Radditz, I didn't know," Vegeta said quietly. It had become apparent to everyone who knew these two that their chemistry was dead on.

Radditz sighed, "None of us did. I'll report later," he said, signing off.

~o0o~

"And give this to Vegeta, please," Kakarott said, pressing something last minute into his brother's hand.

Radditz grunted, "Okay," he was reluctant to leave. Gohan hadn't made an appearance. The least the kid could do to show he cared was come to see him off, even if they weren't speaking. Radditz didn't know why Gohan kept pushing him away when it was more than obvious they wanted each other. He growled, and Kakarott hugged him in sympathy; which Radditz didn't care for. "Why's he got this stupid hang up?" he asked his brother.

Kakarott shook his head, "I don't know."

"Son!" Radditz turned at the sound of his father's voice, "Ask Vegeta to send more calcium with the next shipment. Gohan says there is going to be more broken bones this next week."

Radditz' eyes narrowed, and he quickly scanned the warehouse. If the boy were going to hide from him, he would seek him. He grinned, and took off. Both his relatives shook their heads, "They'll get over this phase," Bardock assured his son.

"I am not certain they have much of a choice in the matter," Kakarott answered, and Bardock nodded in agreement.

Gohan shuddered as he felt the warm breath against the back of his neck, "Radditz," he whispered, closing his eyes. It was so fucking difficult to think or keep focus in the other's presence. He turned obediently as the commander's large hands rotated his shoulders.

"Look at me kid," Radditz insisted. He sighed as the other's eyes opened to him, "I'll see you in a week or two," he said as he pressed his lips to Gohan's.

Gohan shook with restraint, before giving in and wrapping his arms around the armored torso of the other, reflexively pulling him tighter. Even though he had made it clear he didn't want these advances right now, Radditz kept pushing. He was married and had a child, this was his uncle, he would be leaving soon; he knew all these things and yet he could still hardly control himself! "Go!" he said, pushing the other away as a last resort to combat his lust.

Radditz growled and started to comment about the immature action on the other's part, but stopped as the kid's demeanor changed. He was going to get himself hurt if he kept pressing. He sneered at the other's foolishness, fighting his instincts, before turning and heading out the door. He didn't even stop to say one last good-bye to his brother or father.

"Great! Way to piss him off before this first combat," Kakarott spat at his brother's retreating back. He cringed at a yell from the front of the warehouse, and shockwaves that blew dust in every direction. "This is going to be painful," Kakarott said, looking at his father before sighing at his fate.

Bardock grimaced, "Yeah...good luck son."

~o0o~~o0o~

"What do you mean someone's sabotaged the radars?" Videl asked over her cell phone as she ran through the hallways at Capsule Corp. Less than four weeks before the dragon balls would be active again, and this happens?!

"I mean, they've been crushed, the custom parts for it have been destroyed and the plans have been stolen," Bulma told her. How had someone gotten in here and done this? In her own lab!

"Do you know who?" Videl asked. If this was her daughter's doing, Pan would be living with her grandfather permanently. She couldn't even begin to express the anger the thought this could be Pan stirred in her.

"I have a team working on that," Bulma said as she watched the crew dust the remains of the radars and everything around them for finger prints. She had thought this area secure, and it had been coincidence she had to have come in here for something she couldn't even remember now.

"Found another print!" one of the crew shouted towards his boss.

Bulma could hear Videl sigh over the phone, "I'll run this through C.C.'s data base now. Hopefully it won't be another one of mine. I should have some sort of answer for you by the time you get down here."

"Thanks Bulma," Videl said, folding her phone up, and tucking it into her shirt pocket.

~o0o~~o0o~

Gohan leaned his head back against the tank's wall. Kakarott had only lasted against him for 15 minutes before having to be tanked. He looked up from his thoughts as his leg was nudged, "Here, have a drink," Bardock handed him a mug with something steaming in it.

"Is it poisoned?" Gohan asked, almost wishing that it were.

Bardock shook his head, "No. Kakarott wants this, and you managed to stop in time," the elder said.

"I almost didn't," Gohan shuddered, finally taking a sip. His eyes snapped up. It was difficult to tell what kind of tea it had been with all the alcohol in it.

"You need to relax. I think he's going to be in there for a good portion of the day," Bardock said before turning and heading towards the workbenches.

Gohan took another sip before placing the mug down on the ground next to him. He leaned his head back against the tank again, closing his eyes. It took some time for him to still his mind as thoughts of Radditz and Idomu tried to wedge their way into his thinking. He reached blindly for the mug again, and took another, longer sip, sighing as it burned its way down his throat. He placed it back down as he felt his shoulders relax. He gathered just enough ki to him, and threw his thoughts off planet; anything to get his mind away from here...if only for a little while.

With his ki to aid him, he no longer needed to use Namek as a stepping-stone, but he stopped briefly any way. He smiled at the calmness of the planet. Even Earth was never this still.

He finally shifted his attention to the planet he had been born on. The familiar constant change of the planet was extremely comforting, even if it was not as calm as Namek. Trying to keep his mind occupied for as long as possible, he went over the planet bit by bit. He smiled as he realized Bulma was on the move again. The stories his father would share with him about how you couldn't get the genius to keep still when she was younger.

Something drew his attention away from the woman's ki. He frowned...something familiar, but unexpected. His eyes suddenly popped open, and he clamped a hand over his mouth. He closed his eyes quickly, searching again, making sure he hadn't been over reacting. Videl! She was there! How? Gohan let a small chuckle escape. She had been born of course! Even if it were later than in his time line. Yes, there was Hercule's faint ki, right next to hers. His heart thudded in his chest, but he shook his head. Here, he was 28 years older, and galaxies away. They weren't meant to be in this time line.

He let his mind wonder away from the planet. The thought she was here kept him happy as he moved beyond, the concern about his energy failing him this far out no longer necessary with ki to aid him on his astral journey. The same feeling came over him though, as he moved further out from Earth. Something was wrong in this part of the universe. He was sure of it now. Alien planets he could feel as child weren't there. There was a blankness he could follow like a path. The direction he felt himself moving in was returning him closer to Vegeta-sei, but not by the route of Namek.

And then that gut twisting feeling hit him again. This time he boosted his ki in order not to pass-out, following the pain to a new destination, where he found his disturbing answer to what had been taking place, ' _Brolli_ ,' he growled, his ki escalating in response. It seemed as though King Vejita had failed to kill the child in this time line also.

He piggybacked as the other moved swifter than he thought possible from the destruction he had caused. It didn't take him long to finalize his conclusion. The other _was_ headed back towards this planet. Gohan quickly drew his thoughts back to his body. He stirred just as someone nudged his shoulder. "I thought you were sleeping, until I felt you coming back," Kakarott's concerned features peered at him.

"How long was I out?" he asked as he stood, the adrenaline kicking in.

"About six hours," Bardock answered.

"Crap!" all that training time wasted. Well not wasted- if he hadn't been meditating, he wouldn't have known. He grabbed Kakarott's hand and sat back on the floor, "Follow me," he instructed, sending his awareness out again.

"Slow down," Kakarott said from besides him. He gasped as Gohan's awareness stopped, "Who is it?"

Gohan returned them before answering, "You remember me telling Vegeta a story about what his father had done?" he didn't want to talk about this openly, not even in front of Bardock.

Kakarott's eyes lifted as he thought about Gohan's statement, "You mean that story about a father and son?"

"YES! That's the son," Gohan stated, "And he's coming back this way, and destroying everything in his direct path."

Kakarott's nodded, "Well, we do claim planets..."

"No, I mean, he's _destroying_ them. There is no planet left when he's done," Gohan said, trying to emphasize his concern.

"Oh," Kakarott said quietly.

Bardock spoke up, "Is he stronger than you?" he asked Gohan.

Gohan shook his head, "No...not yet any way..."

"Then you can handle him when he gets here?" Kakarott asked, but sounded unsure.

"Crap," Gohan said, leaning his forehead between his lifted knees.

"What does that mean?" Kakarott growled.

"I may not be here," Gohan mumbled. He yelped as his hair was pulled back.

"What do you mean, 'you may not be here'?" Kakarott growled at him. He was certain this was a part of what Vegeta said when the prince had mentioned concerns about the truthfulness of the foreigner's stories. "You think you're going somewhere?"

Gohan sighed and closed his eyes, "If I do, it will be because I don't have a choice in the matter," he replied. Coincidences were happening too close together to give an educated guess as to whether or not he would be here when Brolli arrived. Kakarott dropped his head in disgust.

"Well, that explains why Radditz thought you were training him harder than necessary to make the goal of elite in a year...you were on pace for what? A month?" Bardock asked.

Gohan gulped...he hadn't thought it would have been that obvious, "Yes. If I am leaving, it will be somewhere in the vicinity of a month...well, three weeks now," he whispered. He stood, rotating his neck on his shoulders, "I guess we have to step it up even more."

Kakarott growled, "Are you trying to kill me?"

It was Gohan's turn to growl, "He was born Legendary," he hissed, "No one on this planet is close to his power. I have one chance, and one option. You!" he said with conviction, poking his finger at Kakarott's chest.

Kakarott shoved his hand away, "What kind of a choice is that? You need to get Vegeta here, and train him! I was born third class..."

Bardock cleared his throat and the other two looked at him, "Well...that may not have been true."

"WHAT!" Kakarott screeched at him.

"Your mother died giving birth to you," Bardock started.

"I know that!" Kakarott hissed. It had been a long time, but he didn't want to be reminded of the guilt he always felt about it. It wasn't his fault his mother had chosen to have him the natural way!

"And you barely survived the birth yourself," Bardock stated.

"And?" Kakarott asked. This little bit of information was new to him.

"They took your ki reading minutes after you were out of the womb," Bardock stated, "Your vitals hadn't even stabilized yet. They were in a hurry to get you into an incubator. They offered to take a second reading when you were out, but I declined."

Kakarott gave his father a wilted look, "Why?" he asked quietly. His father had kept this from him for 27 years?

Bardock glanced over at Gohan trying to decide if this information was something he could trust the stranger that had seemed to have so many secrets of his own with, "There was a rumor...about a child I had seen in the same room with you," Bardock whispered, "He was there the first hour I was there to visit you. The second time I came to visit, they were filling out a death certificate. I mentioned something about how it seemed rather odd that such a healthy baby would just suddenly die, with the technology we have: my main concern being about your chances of survival if the other kid hadn't made it. The doctors became nervous and thin lipped. Tails don't tighten that quickly if something was an accident. I had a couple of days to think about it, and hear rumors whispered in the ward halls before the doctors asked if I wanted to have you tested again when it was time to take you home. I decided I'd much rather have a third class son, than not have a second son at all."

Kakarott's face paled, "Was...was his name...Brolli?"

Bardock's eyes widened, "How..." he looked over at Gohan as Kakarott pointed his direction. "You're being here just gets weirder and weirder all the time," Bardock gave him a penetrating look.

"Weird doesn't cover it," Gohan growled, he turned back to Kakarott, "You are going to have to believe me on this one. You _can_ do it, and I am going to make sure you do!"

Kakarott sighed as he tightened his tail around his waist. Not only did his relationship with Vegeta depend on this now...but so did his planet's survival, "This is just fucked up," he whispered while turning resignedly towards the open door of the gravity simulator.

~o0o~~o0o~

"Well, I can tell you it wasn't Pan," Bulma stated.

Videl sighed. That was a relief, "But what are we going to do?"

Bulma smiled and tapped her head, "I do have a photographic memory. It's just going to take time to build another, with all the custom parts that have to be made. Relax while I make this my top priority. The remains left were all seven radars. The dragon balls will still be there, even if we are a week or so behind schedule," Bulma patted Videl's knee.

"That's just so weird...who would go to all the trouble to sneak into your lab, destroy the radars and _not_ take one to go in search of dragon balls?"

Bulma shook her head, "Probably some weird fanatic," she replied.

"Well, I am going to go and pull Pan early from her training. I just want to go home. This has stressed me out," Videl stated, standing from her chair.

"You have a good night and get some rest," Bulma said as she watched the young woman leave. She waited a few more seconds before pulling a box of matches out from her desk drawer, lighting one and throwing it into the trashcan besides her desk. She had barely had time to wad the sheet up and throw it in there before Videl had been in her office. One question stood out more than any of the others, "Why would he do this?"

~o0o~~o0o~

 


	9. Chapter 8

##  _Idomu_

### By [Macha ](mailto:bynp@comcast.net)

### Chapter 8

 

Prince Vegeta paced in the training room while Radditz took a breather. They both started as they felt Kakarott's ki spike, "What the fuck is going on!?" Vegeta asked again.

Radditz growled, "I don't know. Father won't answer his scouter. If he thinks I am going to believe him when he tries to tell me it's all the projects Gohan gave him to work on that keep him from answering..." he growled. This was driving them both insane. With Kakarott's highs and lows, many people had put their outdated scouters aside, not trusting them any more. There had already been talk in the council about how the young third class could very well pass Idomu at this rate. When scouters started blowing up on a regular basis everyone started holding their collective breath.

No one was laughing behind his back anymore in the barracks. He'd beat the shit out of a few of them, not only for their remarks about his brother, but also because of crude remarks about what they would like to do to 'the slave'.

"If Gohan has stepped up the training, like you suggested...Kakarott has got to be elite by now. Why not just come back early and prove everyone wrong?" Vegeta demanded. He'd be more than happy to claim Kakarott at this very moment, if he got his ass to the capital.

Kakarott's ki suddenly took a dive, "That's IT! I am going out there," Vegeta said, heading for the door of the training room.

"Your Highness! Wait," Radditz said, catching up to him. "Maybe we should give them another day or two? I am certain if things were getting out of hand, my father would call for aid. It is his son, after all."

Vegeta growled, "I don't like it. It takes a day just to get out there."

"I don't either..." Radditz agreed, "But that senzu formula seems to be able to heal almost anything."

" _Almost_? You're not doing a very good job of keeping me here," Vegeta nervously grinned at him.

"Yeah, well, I wouldn't mind going...I just think we should wait," the commander stated.

Vegeta's grin grew slyer, "Someone's got a tailless sayian to chase?"

"Yeah...I think we'd end up wasting their training time trying to coax them to do other things," Radditz sighed, not even bothering to try to hide his attraction to the other from the prince.

Vegeta slapped his shoulder, "This isn't any easier on me."

Radditz snorted, "You have your concubines if you get desperate."

Vegeta growled, "I dismissed them all the day after you three left. I am serious about this Radditz. I want no other."

"Was that a smart move? Wouldn't the king become suspicious?" Radditz asked, proud of the prince's choice, but concerned about his timing.

Vegeta shook his head, "My father thought I was throwing another fit. He has yet to learn I do so without calculated reasons...for the most part," he grinned apologetically.

Radditz shook his head, "You had a reason for that last one...even if I don't know what it was."

"It was about your brother. Always about your brother."

~o0o~

Kakarott panted as he pressed Gohan into the floor, "Raise your ki damn it!" the other was going to have to fight him off, "This same level shit isn't making this go any faster."

"Neither is out classing you so far there is no comparison," Gohan grunted back, but raised his ki enough to give Kakarott more of the challenge he was looking for. He tried not to grin: if Kakarott only knew how close he was! He kicked the other off of him.

Kakarott growled at himself. He _always_ underestimated how flexible this opponent was. He knew this would end the same way it always had: with him in the tank with multiple broken bones and possibly internal injuries. He'd become accustomed to it. As it was, he thought his tail was already fractured during this one, but he had learned how to compensate for that as well: as long as someone wasn't grabbing it.

Suddenly Gohan stopped, raising a hand. "I want to take this outside," he stated. When Kakarott gave him a quizzical look, he explained, "We can do a lot of physical, and some basic stuff in here. We can't do any special attacks without damaging the machine."

Kakarott nodded: enthused, but concerned, "You think I am ready for special attacks?"

Gohan grinned, "Yeah, more than," he stated as he lowered the controls slowly from 70 back to 0. He grabbed a couple of the senzu formula syringes before they headed out of the warehouse. He frowned, as they kept flying, and he didn't see anything they could use as targets, "Pretty barren around here," he shouted to the other.

Kakarott looked at him like he was dense, "Nothing lasts beyond oorazu, and usually doesn't have time to come back before we romp again!"

Gohan nodded, wondering why he hadn't thought of that. "We'll do this here then. I don't want to waste more time flying!" he said as he slowed and finally descended. Gohan looked around for anything that could be used as a target before his eyes settled on Kakarott, "Well, I guess you are strong enough..."

"Strong enough for what?" Kakarott asked dubiously.

"You can fire a steady blast of ki, can't you?" Gohan asked. They had yet to have done much with ki attacks, and the Prince and Kakarott had been cautious about their training tactics when Gohan had been a slave in their presence at the palace.

"Yeah?" Kakarott answered.

"Okay, then here's what we are going to do. We are going to fire single stream ki blasts at each other. I am going to slowly increase mine, and you are going to use yours to press mine back," Gohan explained. He flew backwards at Kakarott's nod, "On the count of three!"

Kakarott braced himself, readying a double handed ki attack, "One...two...three!" They both release ki and yells simultaneously. Kakarott grunted as the attacks collided, and his feet slid in the barren ground. He increased his ki to compensate. "Here comes some more!" Gohan warned, and Kakarott increased his again.

~o0o~

Radditz sighed as his scouter went off, "I know, 'what the fuck is that?'" he anticipated Vegeta's question.

Vegeta laughed, "Becoming too predictable. What ever it is they are doing, it's increasing steadily."

"Yeah. I'll meet you in the training room," Radditz said, "Don't want your scouter to explode." He heard Vegeta chuckling as he signed out.

~o0o~

Kakarott groaned, "What hit me?"

Gohan laughed in relief, "I did. Can you sit up?"

Kakarott nodded, and did so, "I think we need something else to practice that kamehame on," he groaned, holding his head, although he knew it was psychological. He could taste the bitter taste of the senzu formula on the back of his tongue.

Gohan nodded, "Actually, I think I'll let you send them at me, and I'll block them as best I can," he didn't tell Kakarott he had to perform CPR before the senzu formula even began to take affect.

Kakarott shook his head, "Am I ever going to get there?"

Gohan patted his shoulder, "You are getting closer everyday," he encouraged. Gohan thought this near death experience had probably brought Kakarott over the threshold, but hadn't been able to test his theory yet.

They both turned their heads towards Bardock's holdings as they felt an increase in Kakarott's father's ki, "I would guess that means we are supposed to go home," Kakarott sighed.

"Yeah, we can do more physical training this evening, and continue this exercise in the morning," Gohan stood, readying to leave.

The flight back didn't take long, and they both saw Bardock standing with hands on hips and scouter fitted over his head in front of the warehouse, "Uh-oh," they said at the same time.

Bardock flinched as they landed, and handed the scouter to Kakarott, who put it on warily. He cringed, and Gohan winced in sympathy; whatever it was Vegeta was yelling was loud enough it was distorting his voice over the speakers in the device.

Gohan stepped back as Kakarott held the scouter out to him without saying a word. He waved his hands across his chest in the negative, but Kakarott mouthed the words 'too late.' He sighed, taking the device from Kakarott's hand, "Yes, Prince Vegeta?" he asked.

"IF YOU EVER COME THAT CLOSE TO KILLING HIM AGAIN, I WILL FIND EARTH AND DESTROY IT!" Vegeta roared at him.

Gohan flinched, "Yes sir...your Highness," he said.

"Give me back to Kakarott," the prince's voice ordered much calmer.

Kakarott took the device back from Gohan, and walked away from the other two as he listened to what ever it was the prince had to tell him, "Yes...no, I wouldn't....NO..." Kakarott sighed, "I am sorry...Yes, I'll be more careful..." suddenly he stopped moving, his body trembling, "Can you repeat that?" Kakarott's ki started to rise at an alarming rate, and Gohan increased is own as a precaution, as the prince repeated himself.

"I felt you die!" Vegeta hissed, "It almost killed me in the process. I blacked out, and had to put your brother and several others in tanks when I came to. The training room was destroyed! That whole section of the palace is nothing but rubble."

Kakarott shifted his body, and Gohan went into a defensive crouch as the other removed the scouter from his head, holding it out and then dropping it to the ground. Gohan waved a 'go' motion at Bardock, and Kakarott's father backed up slowly.

His prince had almost **_died_**? The rage Kakarott felt at the irresponsible party wasn't finding a stopping point. His awareness dismissed his father as trivial in favor of his real target, "You fuck," he whispered before he yelled in rage, attacking the other.

Gohan blocked the first few blows. One found its way through as he saw Kakarott's eyes flicker teal. Gohan's face became grim. This was it...just a little push was needed to get the other to cross over. He increased his ki, and brought the battle to Kakarott, pinning the other to the ground in three moves, "Calm down," he said in what he hoped was an irritatingly reasonable voice.

It had the desired affect. Kakarott roared, and drew more ki in order to remove his antagonist. Gohan found himself on his back, looking up at a super sayian. He couldn't help the badly timed laugh, but it was cut short as Kakarott pounded a fist into his chest, "You find amusement in Vegeta's or Radditz' death?" another fist, this time to his mid-section.

Gohan coughed up blood, "No," he gurgled out. He should have increased his ki again, sooner. Hindsight wasn't going to help him now though. His body was struggling to get enough chi flow to support his damaged organs, let alone bring an increase of ki to defend himself. He brought his hands up weakly, and what he knew was too slowly, as Kakarott brought his fist back again, this time aiming for his head.  _'I am sorry, Videl,'_ he thought as he watched the fist swing down at him.

Moments later, he realized the blow had never hit. He groaned as he tried to shift Kakarott's limp, struggling body off of him, "Let me go!" Kakarott hissed at someone behind him.

"Vegeta and Radditz are alive," Gohan heard Bardock's voice, and then Kakarott's body was dragged from his. Several hands were pulling him up from the ground, and laying him out on a stretcher, "The boy did what needed to be done to accomplish his goal; yours and the prince's goal. I'll let go of your tail, when you get that through your hormone driven brain," Bardock said, as he sat down on the ground, still holding Kakarott's tail.

Gohan didn't hear what else was said as the emergency team took him into the warehouse and began setting up the tank for him.

~o0o~

"I don't care if you think it is interfering with his challenge! You will get your ass out there, and get that machine back to the capital at once!" King Vejita yelled at his son in private, "And I want the scientist to come with it!"

Vegeta growled...somehow, word had gotten back to his father and the council that the gravity simulator was more than operational. There had to be someone in Bardock's staff that was leaking information. Not that it had been mandated that the GR was supposed to have been kept secret...he just hadn't expected anyone from Bardock's group to be in contact with the crown. "I will do the best I can to convince him to serve," Vegeta said, turning away from his father to leave the room before he exploded with rage.

"I had better hear word it is returning within a week. If I do not, I will send the military out there to take it by force," King Vejita threatened.

Vegeta's shoulders stiffened, "Understood," he said before slamming the door to his father's face. 'First things first though,' Vegeta thought to himself grimly. He turned left down the corridor in the direction of the palace's emergency ward. People visibly moved out of his way as he strode down the hallways, boots echoing smartly with his passing.

"Commander Radditz," Vegeta stated harshly upon entering the medical wing.

The receptionist visibly shook, dropping paperwork noisily in his hurry to comply, "This way, your Highness," he squeaked. Vegeta sneered at his back as he followed him.

"Leave," the prince ordered upon seeing Radditz' face through one of the windows, and people quickly made themselves scarce. Vegeta scanned Radditz vitals, since he didn't seem to be coherent yet. He sighed; what ever had happened, Radditz looked as though he had been in its direct path, and he couldn't very well go and look at the surveillance, because that had been destroyed, "Fuck!" he said, smacking his gloved palm into the tank's side. At this rate, it would be at least a day before he would leave for Bardock's. He was _not_ going with out his commander! Radditz was the only trust worthy person left in the palace; not even Councilor Jerosh could be considered bipartisan. If things went wrong, he did not want his father able to use Kakarott's brother as leverage.

He turned swiftly at this decision, stopping by the front on his way out, "I will be notified immediately if his condition changes," Vegeta ordered the poor man at the front desk.

"Y-yes your Highness!" the man did a poor bow in his flustered state.

Vegeta barely noted the gesture as he entered the corridor and headed towards his own rooms.

He threw his cape onto the back of a chair in his front room as quickly as he could get the cumbersome garment off, and then headed towards his bedroom. He veered towards his shower room changing his mind about meditating right away. He was so irritated...and had a ton of time on his hands. He sighed when he finally stood naked beneath the hot water. He let himself stand with his back to the hot water for a good while, wishing Kakarott were with him to rub the tension from his shoulders. He shook his head at himself, 'You know you want his talented hands else where.'

He finally shut the water off, and dried on his way to his bedroom. The prince sat with his back against the foot of his bed, closing his eyes and relaxing his mind. Having no particular thing to focus on, he just let his mind wander as it would.

Vegeta woke up hours later as there was a knock at the front door to his rooms. He smiled, realizing this was the first time in a while he had slept hours in a row. Kakarott's ki fluctuations had kept him up or woken him for nearly two weeks. This whole time, Kakarott's ki had been steady; it was comforting.

He pulled some pants on, and then pulled a shirt over his head as he walked to his door, "Who is it?"

"Dr. Malva," a voice came through the door, and Vegeta's eyes widened as he hurried his pace, thinking the worst for Radditz.

"Yes?" Vegeta asked after he had made sure the doctor was by himself...briefly wondering about his paranoia...

"You requested being notified when Commander Radditz' condition changed. He's still in the tank, but awake, your Highness," the doctor told him.

Vegeta ran a hand threw his hair, too tired to think much about his common place actions, "Why did they send you?" he asked.

The doctor shrugged, "I have a feeling most of the interns and such were under the impression you were angry. Probably didn't want to get fried," he smiled briefly.

Vegeta shook his head, "I will be out in a moment..."

Dr. Malva cleared his throat, "If you don't mind, Prince Vegeta, I was on my way back to my rooms."

Vegeta waved him off, "Yes, go get some rest. Thank you," he said as he shut his door and began looking for his boots.

Minutes later he was striding back down the hallways, although they were less populated at this hour. "I am here to see Commander Radditz," he said as he passed the front desk, not even bothering to slow.

The person at the front desk sighed in relief; it seemed the prince's mood had changed for the better than from the gossip the earlier shift had been talking about.

Radditz smiled upon seeing him, and Vegeta grinned back. "Thank the ancestors you are too stubborn to die," Vegeta whispered, even though he knew Radditz couldn't hear him.

Radditz shook his head as the prince talked too fast for him to understand, but then shrugged; he probably hadn't been meant to understand. He gave an over-exaggerated glance around the tank, and then shrugged his shoulders at Vegeta with his hands up.

Vegeta looked at the control panel, "Two hours," he mouthed.

Radditz' tail flicked behind him in irritation; he had something he wanted to tell the prince, but it would have to wait until they were in a more private setting. Vegeta grinned and held up one finger, and Radditz eyeballed him. "They put you in an extended patient tank," Vegeta said, even if Radditz couldn't understand him. He grinned as he flicked the switch to the LCD touch screen on. Radditz grinned as Vegeta brought up the file containing strategy games. The commander had forgotten about this improvement to the tanks. He rubbed his hands together before picking one of the games out.

Vegeta laughed, "Good choice!" he gained several strange looks for his candid outburst from family members or friends visiting patients that had been in the same accident that Radditz had survived.

Time went quickly after that, as the prince and commander tried to outsmart each other. Radditz situation was looking desperate when the readings on the tank indicated he could be released. "You're lucky this time!" Vegeta said to him. Radditz shrugged as Vegeta began the drainage sequence.

"Gods I hate this shit," Radditz said when he exited the tank, "You would think if they could figure out how to add touch screens to the windows, the least they could do is change the formula...or just add shower cycle for that matter!" he said as he headed for one to rinse the fluid out of his hair and off his body. His tail flicked the fluid this way and that in his agitation, and Vegeta shook his head.

"You should get your father to work on that," Vegeta commented from outside the stall.

"Hn," Radditz acknowledged, "Never thought about it."

Vegeta shook his head, but had nothing else to say as he waited. Several of the injured had hours more to go on their tank times, and Vegeta spent a rare moment people watching.

He straightened away from the wall as he heard the water shut off. Radditz stepped out, looking around expectantly for something, and then growled, "I hate the night shift here. Where's a decent set of clothes when I need one?" he asked as headed towards the front desk trying to towel his mass of hair dry.

Vegeta smirked as the commander received several wide-eyed looks, and followed him. "Can I at least get a set of clothes?" Radditz asked the poor man at the front desk rudely.

The man turned a glare on him, used to the abruptness of soldiers, "Well, if you had waited for a nurse or intern to release you, you wouldn't have to walk around naked," he said bravely.

"You get this kind of guff all the time, Commander?" Vegeta asked from behind Radditz, "I certainly wouldn't tolerate it."

"No your Highness," Radditz growled down at the young man, "Only from shmucks who have no clue as to whom is addressing them," he chuckled as the receptionist, or was it intern this time of night, scattered to get him what he needed at the mention of the prince's title, "I guess that's one way to get service."

Vegeta grinned back at him, "I couldn't have people wagging their tongues about me dragging you naked down the hall to my rooms."

Radditz laughed, "Well, that would be an interesting rumor to start...maybe we should go before he gets back?"

Vegeta chuckled and shook his head, "I have enough of a reputation as it is right now. I don't need that one...and I certainly don't need it circulating back to Kakarott."

Radditz grabbed the clothes handed to him, "My brother would know better," Radditz stated as he pulled the loose fitting pants on, "Do we have time to stop by the armory?" he asked as he pulled the shirt over his head.

Vegeta shook his head, "I want to discuss some things. We'll have a couple of hours to get our stuff together after," he said, exiting.

Radditz followed, grinning, "I have something I need to tell you also."

Vegeta raised a brow at that, but stayed silent as they headed back to his rooms.

~o0o~

Gohan stepped out of the tank hours later, "Uhg," he said, shaking off his hands and grabbing the towel Kakarott handed to him. "I take it I've been forgiven?" he asked the other.

Kakarott grimaced, "I suppose," he said grudgingly. Then he grinned the brightest grin Gohan had seen on Kakarott's face since his training had begun, "THEY'RE COMING!"

Gohan shook his head at the other's excitement, wiping as much of the fluid out of his hair with the towel as possible before taking a quick rinse in the warehouse's showers, "Who is coming?"

Kakarott laughed at him, "Can't you feel it?" he asked.

Gohan sighed and searched for familiar kis. He knew at least one of the persons Kakarott was referring to must be Prince Vegeta. He smiled, as his guess was proven correct. His smile lessened as he felt Kakarott's brother, and his heart irrationally thudded wildly.

Kakarott reached a hand for Gohan's face, "It's okay to love him..." the far away look in the other's eyes didn't seem have anything to do with ki searching.

Gohan jerked back before Kakarott's fingers could touch and he looked at the other, "No...it's not," he said shakily. What he had meant when he had told the commander he 'needed time to wrap his mind around it', wasn't the idea of being with another man...no, it had been his unfathomable _need_ to be in the other sayian's presence. He had hoped weeks away from the Radditz would have put this behind him. Apparently, this was not to be the case. Gohan'd had Kakarott's training to distract him, but as soon as the possibility of Radditz showing up became clear...he was thrown into the emotional chaos _again_!

"Why?" Kakarott asked, "Does this have something to do with the same reason you don't know if you will be staying?" the sharp breath and quick shifting of eyes back to his face was all Kakarott needed in order to know, "If you can't love him, then at least for his sake, like him," he said before turning and walking away.

The towel hung loosely in Gohan's hand as he stared at Kakarott's back as he walked away. He finally shook himself out of his confused daze, growling as he headed towards the chemical spill shower in the warehouse to rinse the regeneration fluid off of his body.

He quickly dried off, and put on the clothes laid out for him, wondering why it wasn't a training suit. He stalked across the warehouse to Kakarott's side, "I am going to go and get a training outfit...."

Kakarott shook his head, "I've accomplished what you needed me to..."

Gohan growled, "No, you haven't. It will be a while before you can make the transformation without the aid of emotion to boost you there..."

Kakarott's tail whipped out behind him indicating his agitation, "I will _not_ be in the tank when my intended arrives!" he hissed, "Just because you can't face what you are feeling about my brother shouldn't mean I can't at least enjoy the company coming for a _least_ a day. I haven't taken a break since this started, and I want a few hours reprieve now."

"I'll make you make up for it," Gohan warned, "We...you can't afford to fall behind," he said.

Kakarott's lips thinned sourly, "Then I'll have to make up for it," he repeated with resolve.

Gohan's shoulders finally slumped, "Okay. A few hours," he sighed, turning towards the house at Kakarott's grin of triumph.

"Where are you going?" Kakarott asked.

"I want a _decent_ shower if we are not going back to training right away," Gohan responded over his shoulder.

Bardock came to stand next to his son as the other left the warehouse, having witnessed most of the conversation discreetly. He frowned before turning back to the capsule project.

~o0o~

Radditz shook his head as the prince put on another burst of speed and grit his teeth to keep up. The commander had mix feelings about this return. Yes, he would be able to see his family again, but the prince was delivering some concerning news. He didn't like the feeling he got in his gut at the thought of his father going to the capital...

He sighed to himself, "And yes, you want to see him again," trying to ignore this wasn't helping. It only made him agitated and edgy. He suddenly felt two kis flare to life ahead in the direction they were going. He smiled at his brother's antics...seemed the prince wasn't going to have to go the whole distance before seeing his brother. He was slightly confused that Gohan was moving with him though.

He growled at himself when the prince put on another burst of speed he just couldn't match. "Too slow!" he chastised himself, straining to go faster.

Gohan slowed as he felt Vegeta's ki approach, Radditz' lagging behind a bit. Kakarott sped up, and he shook his head, picking his pace back up. "What are they doing?" he said aloud...they were going to hit each other head on in their hurry to see each other.

Which is exactly what happened. Gohan over shot the collision point, both the prince and Kakarott dropping from the air to the ground at alarming speed. He blinked, stunned, before getting hold of himself to turn and go check on them, "Leave them," he heard Radditz' voice behind him.

Gohan turned quickly at the commander's tired voice, "They could be injured..."

Radditz smiled and shook his head, "No...well, not yet any way. I wouldn't be surprised if they look like mongrels by the time they make their way back to my father's."

"Oh..." Gohan said, looking back down where the pair had fallen. He couldn't see them from this height, but he could certainly feel them...he blushed.

"You going to give them some privacy? Or stay up here like a pervert?" Radditz asked quietly from directly behind him. Gohan shivered at the feel of the other at his back, warm breath tickling his ear, the smell of the commander's exertions of the long flight to get here..."I've missed you," Radditz whispered, wrapping his arms around Gohan's waist, "How have you been?" he asked, nuzzling his nose in the youngster's neck.

Gohan inhaled a calming breath, "Busy," he said quietly, turning his face back to see the other but only getting an eye full of the top of Radditz' head, "And you?" it was only being polite to ask...right?

"Mmmm, lonely," Radditz said, turning Gohan around, and pressing his lips to the other's.

It alarmed Gohan how quickly he submitted to Radditz' voice and touch...and taste. He hesitantly brought his hands up to touch the sides of the commander's face, keeping their lips locked and losing his focus on anything else as their tongues battled.

Radditz chuckled as he caught the other before Gohan had dropped a fraction of a notch. "Mmmm, safer on the ground," he purred as the other panted before engaging him in another kiss. He let his hands roam over Gohan's back and in his hair as they descended to the more forgiving environment of the planet's surface.

Gohan whined and nipped at Radditz' lower lip as his toes touched the ground, before dropping his forehead to the older sayian's chest. Radditz consciously slowed his pace at the other's hesitation. He ran one hand through the kid's hair as Gohan hid his face in his breastplate, "That can't feel good," he chuckled, unbuckling the shoulder latches. The taller sayian was caught off guard as the other reached to help him quickly remove the piece of armor. The big sayian pulled the other the short distance back to him once it was out of the way.

Gohan stood on tiptoe to help bridge the gap between their lips. He closed his eyes as their tongues once again explored each other's. Gods...so much kissing! He purred. Yes, he'd done a lot of sexual things in the last four and a half months...but very little of it had involved kissing and unrestricted touching. Radditz' tail found its way beneath Gohan's shirt, gently tickling his skin and Gohan shivered at the goose bumps it raised.

Radditz purred as he brought one of his hands up from Gohan's side to start undoing the buttons of the young sayian's shirt. He stilled as the other tensed against him, and slowly slid his hand back to Gohan's side...apparently kissing was safe, "You're going to have to learn to trust me," Radditz whispered before licking down Gohan's neck.

Gohan shook his head before he tilted it back, "It's...it's not that," he sighed, "It's," he pulled back from the other, bowing his head as he tried to still his mind, "I don't know that you can trust me..."

Radditz reached for him, "I don't think I am that fragile," he stated, thinking Gohan was concerned about their differences in power.

Gohan shook his head, "It's isn't that either...I can't commit to anything right now."

Radditz frowned, "Except for training my brother?" he asked with much more jealousy than he expected at the thought, "He's busy with Vegeta for a least a few hours..."

"Is that all you want?" Gohan asked, "Casual sex?" his voice rose embarrassingly at his last question. If it was all the commander wanted...then it might solve some problems, but Gohan found the thought unfulfilling.

Radditz shook his head, "No...but if that is all you can give me...I'll take whatever you can give me," he said honestly.

Gohan nodded, biting his lower lip as he reached a hand out for one of Radditz' and drew the other down to kneel on the ground beside him. When the other sayian didn't act straight away, he reached a hand up and threaded it in the shaggy mane, pulling the other's lips to his. Radditz responded immediately after, growling into the kiss, and letting his hands roam freely over Gohan's body, not stopping them when the other would freeze up this time.

Gohan forced himself to relax, telling himself that Radditz wasn't expecting anything more from this than what it seemed; a quick way to get this out of their systems so they could deal level headedly with each other...but he wanted so much more from this sayian.  _'Videl...'_ , he whimpered at the breif thought of his wife...he still loved her...right? Even if he was doing this? Gohan let the commander have his way with the buttons of his shirt...it had been so much easier to dismiss this craving as one of his own when he had been powerless...now he had to recognize this desire _was_ an element of who he was.

Radditz pulled the other tighter to him as he felt Gohan start to withdraw both physically and emotionally from him. "You...I won't let you turn away," Radditz said quietly, "You want this," a tender kiss to Gohan's nose, "I want this," a more thorough kiss against those trembling lips as he pulled the shirt further off of the tailless sayian's shoulders.

Gohan felt himself nodding, "Yes," he said against Radditz lips, "Kami...help me, I want this," he said, reaching to remove the gambeson from the commander's chest, kissing the skin exposed reverently, exploring his way with lips, tongue and teeth from Radditz' breast bone to the middle of his collarbone, and finally his neck. His fingers quested in deviating directions and different ways. A feather light touch, flowing into light nail scratching...he managed to lose his concerns in the face of this exploration.

The unfamiliar term did not register with Radditz, too mesmerized by Gohan's study of his body. He hissed when Gohan nipped beneath his chin. It took him a moment to realize he had been so easily coerced by the other; his hands and tail had stilled as he let himself experience this. He cupped his hands around Gohan's face, and brought their lips together, using Gohan's preoccupation with his mouth as a diversion as he started to learn _Gohan_ for himself. His tail gained the knowledge the other sayian still reacted when he feathered his tail over the spot the other tail should start. His hands were taught that Gohan would quiver if he drew his fingertips below his navel...

Gohan drew away panting, before he growled and pushed a palm into the middle of the sayian's chest, pressing the commander's back into the ground. Radditz struggled to lift his hips up, as the other seemed obsessed with getting his lower armor and leggings off. He yelped as the hair at the base of his neck was used to pull his head to the ground, and shouted as the other swiftly prevailed over his bared erection. He shifted his shoulders, trying to get the other to let go of his head so he could view what was taking place on the ground, rather than a great expanse of empty, red sky.

Radditz' eyes closed as he felt the other lick up the underside of his cock before lips and mouth surrounded his crown and he choked, "Oh, gods..." and then the ruined fool started _purring_ around him, "Ssssssss-Ah!" he hissed, shouted and then thrust.

Gohan relaxed his throat and cushioned his teeth with his lips as the other lost control and rose up. He ran his palm up Radditz' far thigh to his hip, encouraging the motion. The sayian's tail wrapped around his wrist as the other lurched into him again, strong hands running through his short hair. Gohan chuckled between thrusts, _'That's it...don't think...just do...'_ he closed his eyes in delight.

Radditz shouted as he felt his fingers contract in the other's hair, but he resisted the urge to press the other's head down to meet him. This wasn't some whore's throat he was fucking...his head thrashed as he restrained him arms, "FUCK!" he bellowed as his hips were encouraged continued to rock. Radditz slipped a hand from the kid's hair and felt his way down Gohan's back, running his fingers down his spine until he came to the waistline of his pants. He hooked his fingers in it, trying to drag the garment down below Gohan's hips.

Gohan gasped in surprise as one of the commander's fingers pressed against him, momentarily causing him to lose focus on the situation below him as it began to enter him. He recovered quickly, and moved his free hand down to get his own pants even lower than Radditz' had.

Radditz continued to press his finger inside the other blindly, thrilling when the kid noticeably relaxed to let him continue. He supported Gohan's head as best he could with the grip he had as he felt the other's hand move over him, growling when the youth tugged at him. He felt the material of Gohan's pants slide away from the back of his hand, and tried to lift his head to see what the kid was doing, snarling when his head was still not granted freedom to move.

Gohan stroked himself and pressed himself back, humming at his body's satisfaction. He moved his head down until Radditz was completely covered before shaking his head back and forth, and then pulling back, repeating the process. His stomach tightened when the other's excitement was expressed as a minute increase of pressure on the back of his head and he heard Radditz whimper. He relaxed his neck, so the next time the force increased, he was shoved down.

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!" Radditz roared. He hadn't...meant to...do that...the kid's muscles had suddenly stopped their compensating force. He panted, and thrust his hips up again, groaning when Gohan's head did not disengage in reaction. "Fuuuuuu....k" he whispered as he rolled his hips up again.

Gohan caught his breath between thrusts into his mouth, calmly humming when he exhaled. His hand slowly increased his jerking motion around his own erection, and he shuddered violently at one point, almost losing it at a deep throaty call from Radditz. He began moving his head on his own as he sensed the other tightening up beneath him.

Radditz moaned and bit his lower lip as his lower body locked up. He shouted when Gohan covered him one last time before cumming into that relentless mouth.

Gohan removed his hand from Radditz hair as he felt the other's body fully relax under him. Radditz growled, and pounced, pressing Gohan's back to the ground with his shoulder in his abs as he grabbed Gohan's stroking hand and pressed it to the ground as well. He added a second finger to the first one thrusting, and bent his head around Gohan's raised thigh so he could get his mouth around the other's cock. He sucked hard and fast. Sweet revenge for the torture the kid had put him through was quickly achieved as Gohan screamed his climax. Radditz withdrew fingers and mouth slowly, smirking evilly at the sight of the smaller sayian panting helplessly on the ground with his eyes closed.

The commander reached for his gambeson, wiping his fingers off as the other continued to be oblivious to everything around him, "You fall hard, kid," he whispered, laying his body along side the other's, running fingers over that spot beneath Gohan's navel.

Gohan shuddered and groaned...words...words were being spoken. What was their meaning? "D-depends on the company," he finally said. He had never let his guard fully down when in Vegeta and Kakarott's presences. He opened his eyes to see the commander's face inching towards his, and closed his eyes to black hair and red sky as he let himself be kissed gently.

Radditz broke the kiss and rolled himself to his back, pulling Gohan to his side, and adjusting until the other was fitted in the hollow between arm and body, "Nnnn, not planning on going any where soon," he said, turning his gaze from Gohan's face to the sky above.

"Mmmmm," Gohan agreed, placing a hand on Radditz' rising and falling chest. Guilt and chaos were already starting to hammer at Gohan's after glow.

They both chuckled as they felt twin spikes of ki, shortly followed by shockwaves. "Told you they were okay," Radditz said as he kissed the top of Gohan's head.

~o0o~

Prince Vegeta's eyes widened in wonder as he curled a blond lock of Kakarott's hair around his finger. Piercing aqua eyes echoed his amazement back up at him as Kakarott reached a hand to his hair, and pulled a lock of it down for him to inspect, "Wow" "Incredible" they said at the same time.

The prince bent his head down to touch Kakarott's smiling lips to his, "Mmmmm," he hummed before flicking his tongue against the other's lips. There was a sharp inhale from Kakarott before he opened his mouth to let him in.

Kakarott was more than thrilled Vegeta had made the same achievement he had. He wanted to know how...but questions could wait. He ran his hands down Vegeta's bare back, and slowly stroked one hand down his prince's tail.

Vegeta threw his head back and gasped at the other's expert touch. He purred, and then ran his nose down Kakarott's neck, licking at the sweat that had beaded up along Kakarott's skin. He thrust lightly into the other as his erection began to harden again, causing Kakarott to moan beneath him.

Kakarott rocked his hips slightly in response, more than ready for more. He twined his tail with Vegeta's, running it sensuously down the other's velvet length. He brought one leg up to the prince's hip as Vegeta shifted his weight to his arms. He gasped as Vegeta pressed into him again, clutching at strong arms and then running his hands down them. He smiled when Vegeta gazed down at him, moving his hands to rub his thumbs over Vegeta's nipples.

Vegeta closed his eyes as a shock at Kakarott's touch went through his body. He craned his head down awkwardly in order to press his lips to Kakarott's as he continued to rock down into the other.

Kakarott wrapped his hands back around Vegeta's shoulders, and drew him down so their chests touched. He threaded his hands in the prince's hair, kissing him hungrily. His mouth opened in shock, gasping a couple of times as Vegeta thrust into him hard before managing to close his lips over the other's again.

Vegeta bit Kakarott's lower lip gently before pulling back to hold his weight on one arm, capturing his lover's erection with his free hand and stroking it. He smirked as Kakarott's head lolled back at his attentions, and grit his teeth as knowing fingers once again teased his nipples.

Kakarott whimpered as he was stroked perfectly. He keened as he rocked his hips to match the prince's thrusts. The back of his head pressed into the ground, and his back arched, and he screamed as he came again.

Vegeta wasn't certain what caused his downfall this time: Kakarott's beautiful behavior, or the tight body cinching around him. Either way, he strained and then shuddered as he was claimed by his lover again.

Kakarott chuckled as Vegeta laid his torso over his again, stroking his back gently as Vegeta panted into his neck. The prince growled at him, and brought their lips together messily, smiling as he drew his head away again.

Vegeta sighed contentedly as he laid his head down on Kakarott's chest. He grimaced before slowly sliding himself out of the other, Kakarott hissing in reaction.

"Mmmm, missed you," Kakarott whispered, still stroking Vegeta's back with languid fingertips. He felt the prince's head nod against his chest.

"I missed you too," Vegeta said, bringing his arms in closer. He shifted himself off of Kakarott, and rolled to his side, running his hand over the other's stomach, and up his chest before he leaned down and pressed his lips gently to Kakarott's, and then lay out fully on his side. The prince grinned at the goofy look that came over the other's features. He snapped his tail tip lightly at Kakarott's thigh, "That look says you are up to something..."

Kakarott shook his head, "No...but I know a couple of others that are," he grinned deviously.

Vegeta snorted and then kissed Kakarott again, "Pervert."

Kakarott grinned wider.

~o0o~~o0o~

  
  


 


	10. Chapter 9

##  _Idomu_

### By [Macha ](mailto:bynp@comcast.net)

### Chapter 9

 

Bardock scratched the back of his head with one hand while pulling the stylus down from his ear on the opposite side.  He leaned over the plans on the workbench, and started writing out formulas long hand.... Something in the design still wasn't working. 

His attention was diverted from the task, and he pressed the intercom switch on the floor, "We'll have two extras for dinner tonight," he informed the head cook as he finally felt his sons, Gohan, and whom he assumed was the prince begin to meander in his direction.  He smirked as he took his foot from the switch.  "Thought you were going to get away with a few hours didn't you, kid?" he spoke quietly to himself as he looked back down at the capsule plans, and stopped, staring. 

He turned the stylus over so he could go back through the calculations he had written out, especially the ones that had appeared while he was distracted, and snorted, "Fucking SIX not EIGHT!" he laughed as he threw the stylus down to the paper work and covered his face with his hands, sitting back on the stool.  Two measly sides and angles where what had been stopping them from finishing this!  "Oh, Gohan, you are going to kick yourself when I tell you!  'Honeycomb' indeed!  It's more like a 'net'."

The scientist stood from the stool, and pressed the floor switch again, "Do we have any honeycomb?" he asked.

There was a brief moment before someone responded, "Yes sir.  Anything special you want tonight?"

"Just add simple biscuits, the whole honeycomb, and some spread to the fair.  I have a point to prove," he chuckled as he took his foot off the switch and headed for the main house.  With this out of the way, he could afford the time to get presentable to meet his youngest's intended. 

 

~o0o~

 

Radditz chuckled at Gohan's reaction when Vegeta and Kakarott finally caught up to them.  Prince Vegeta's armor was going to need repair, and well...there wasn't much left to their clothing either.  "Told you, they'd look like mongrels," he mock whispered.

Kakarott threw his wadded up shirt at his brother, "Tease all you like.  Just proves you are jealous."

Radditz caught the article before he hit him in the face, and then grimaced, handing it back, "Yeah...keep this to yourself, will you?  That's just disgusting," he said wrinkling his nose.  At least his brother had the decency to blush.

Vegeta shrugged and took the garment from his commander's hand, "I certainly don't mind it," he said, grinning wickedly.

"Well, he's not _your_ brother," Radditz said starting back for his father's place.

Gohan shook his head as he finally figured out what was going on.  That material smelled heavily of Kakarott....

"He seems quiet," Kakarott said to Vegeta, nodding towards Gohan's back. 

Vegeta nodded, but had to depend on Kakarott's assessment of the slave turned trainer; he had little to go on as to what the sayian was like without his leash.

The second sun was bidding the land goodnight as the four finally touched ground outside of Bardock's holdings.  The mountains silhouetted black met sky so red it seemed to bleed, orange clouds fanning out in a simile of flames.   

Bardock stood at the top of the stairs that led from the lower level to his main house, watching the four youngsters hassle each other as they made their way up.  He smiled contentedly before he was spotted, watching as Radditz reached an arm around Gohan's shoulders, and the kid did not try to evade it.  'Finally,' he thought to himself in relief.

Kakarott stepped to the front of the group as he spotted his father, reaching a hand back for one of Vegeta's, "Prince Vegeta, this is my father, Bardock," Bardock bowed slightly from his waist, "Father, this is Prince Vegeta, my intended," he smiled.

Vegeta reached a hand forward to shake one of Bardock's, "Well, I know where Kakarott gets his good looks now," he smiled roguishly, "Too bad you couldn't have passed some of that off to my commander," he joked.

Bardock grinned back, "Then you would have had to make the decision which brother to choose.  Couldn't very well put my prince in that situation," he said responding in like humor.

Radditz growled at them, "It's the hair..."

"I like the hair," Gohan piped up, and then blushed as everyone snickered at him, except Radditz who hugged him closer, kissing the top of his head. 

"Well, dinner is ready, but it doesn't look like any of you are," Bardock said before turning to lead the rest of the way back up to the main house, "Get cleaned up, and then join me in the dinning hall please," he requested as he let his sons take the lead once inside.  He was having a difficult time not accosting Gohan immediately.  He was so excited about the break through in the capsule project!

Bardock didn't have to wait long.  The four who showed up at his doorstep were eager to fill their bellies.  He soon had all four of them in clean clothes and wet hair keeping him company at the dinning table.

Vegeta ate in silence as he enjoyed the atmosphere Kakarott's family provided over the meal.  Dinner with his father and various other people of office was never this animated!  He laughed at things he truly thought were funny, stuck up for himself when harassed, and didn't worry if he was going to step on someone's proverbial foot.  He happily twined tails with Kakarott's as father and son gained up on his commander about some long standing family argument...

Gohan smiled as he ate, busy taking in everything going on around him.  Vegeta was certainly letting his hair down...figuratively at least.  He hadn't required one person to call him by title since the dinner had begun...come to think of it, even before that.

And the demi-sayian was certainly enjoying himself also.  It had been a while since he and Kakarott had actually sat at the table and ate, rather than have something brought down to them between sparring bouts and tank times.  He felt a slight pang of jealousy as he watched Vegeta's tail reach for Kakarott's, and the two of them played the sayian equivalent of 'footsie'. 

Radditz noticed the change in Gohan's demeanor almost immediately, but it took him a moment to note the cause.  He smiled sadly as wrapped his tail around one of the legs of Gohan's chair, and pulled him closer, kissing his cheek and chuckling at the kid's squeal of shock.

Gohan blushed as everyone's eyes turned towards them.  Kakarott elbowed Vegeta lightly in the ribs, "Not at the table you two," Bardock interrupted, "I have some serious stuff to discuss before I let the four of you go for the evening," he was a bit concerned as both Radditz and Vegeta's light mood changed at his words, "And I guess I am not the only one..."

Vegeta shook his head, "No," he sighed, "But you start with yours first."

Bardock shoved his plate away, and reached for the honeycomb, "Well, mine is a bit of good news," he said as he passed the bowl to Gohan, "I finally figured out what we were calculating incorrectly for the capsule project," he said as the young man took the bowl from him, "You said 'honeycomb', right?"

Gohan looked at the substance in the bowl, "Yes, but this has eight sides...."

Bardock nodded, "Precisely.  The design we needed to be working on needs to be six...."

"Wait...this is what you thought I was talking about when I said honeycomb?" Gohan asked as he poked a spoon at the wax and honey in the bowl.

"Of course..." Bardock started.

"Oh...well, that explains a lot," Gohan said, "See, where I come from, the bees make six sided combs, not eight," he said, scratching his head before lifting his face back up to the rest of the group, and smiling, "No wonder we weren't getting any where...What?" he asked.  Bardock and Radditz were looking at him....

"You haven't told them?" Vegeta asked, taking the bowl from his hands as Kakarott shifted uncomfortably. 

"I-I guess not..." Gohan whispered.  Trying to remember who knew what was finally catching up with him.  

"Told us what boy?" Bardock asked nothing more than curious.

"I-I'm not from Vegeta-sei," he said, turning to look at Radditz apologetically as he felt Radditz shift from his side ever so slightly, "It didn't seem to matter..."

"Well, it doesn't really, except for little communication problems like this one," Bardock pointed out.

"Is this what you were speaking of when you mentioned something about my not being able to trust you?" Radditz asked quietly.

Gohan sighed and closed his eyes as he nodded his head, "Yes, partially."

"Calm down, Radditz," Vegeta ordered, "The half breed didn't..."

"You're not full sayian?" now the commander's voice rose incredulously.  The boy had looked and smelled sayian enough, except for the missing tail. 

"No," Gohan whispered, cringing when he heard Radditz stand and move away from him.

"Commander." "Radditz!" Both Vegeta and Bardock spoke at the same time.  Bardock continued, "We have more to discuss than just the capsule project.  You will stay here.  Deal with your idiotic prejudice after." 

Radditz growled as he pulled his chair back out, and sat a ways from Gohan.  He wasn't prejudice...not like his father was thinking.  He'd been on too many missions off planet to continue to believe planet stranded sayians' outdated beliefs about blood purity and race integrity.  The information Gohan was a cause of such a union proved those beliefs to be faulty, but it was still a shock: you didn't get the kind of power the kid wielded from an 'unholy' union.  "Get on with it," he said a bit gruffly; slightly embarrassed from his initial outburst, but his irritation persisted: he didn't like surprises.

Vegeta cleared his throat, "I guess I'll go with my news next," he sighed, "It seems my father has found out the gravity simulator is functional, and he wants it brought to the capital."

Bardock shrugged, "I think Kakarott is done training with it..." he looked to Gohan who nodded, "So, he can have it..." he stopped as Vegeta shook his head.

"My father also wants you with it," Vegeta grimaced as he informed them.

Bardock frowned, "I have too much going on here to leave.  We have what," again he looked at Gohan, "Two weeks?"

Gohan frowned, "Give or take...."

"Two weeks for what?" Vegeta asked warily.

"It's why you've felt me training so hard," Kakarott said quietly.

"For Ancestors' sake, someone speak plainly!" Vegeta growled.

"You remember that story I told you about Brolli?" Gohan asked quietly.

Vegeta snorted, "Yes...and if you know what is good for you, you won't go repeating it..."

Gohan shook his head, "It's going to become obvious in a couple of weeks."

"Why do you say that?" Vegeta asked, concerned.

"Can you follow me in ki search?  Like Kakarott can?" Gohan asked.

Vegeta shook his head, "I still don't know how he does that."

Kakarott smile apologetically, "And I do it instinctually, so I can't describe how to, to someone."

Gohan sighed, "Then you'll just have to trust us," he frowned at Radditz' snort, "When I say, Brolli is on his way back."

"You said my father killed him..." Vegeta started.

"I think the term I used was 'attempted," Gohan clarified, "Your father was not successful."

Vegeta looked over at Kakarott for confirmation, "You've felt this?"

Kakarott nodded, "Yes.  And he's destroying planets on his way back."

"We can hope he wants to keep Vegeta-sei intact," Gohan stated, "But I wouldn't make any bets on it.  He's never been sane...."

"Again, you speak of things as though you have first hand knowledge of them," Vegeta pointed out shrewdly.

"And I fear, in trying to tell you the whole of how I know these things, you would find me insane enough not to heed my warnings, your Highness," Gohan said quietly.

Bardock cleared his throat, "He has trained my son to become legendary, given us the specs for the gravity chamber, the senzu formula and now capsule technology.  I've weighed what he's given us against what we might not know, and I trust him," Bardock spoke, "Sometimes people keep secrets," he looked over at Kakarott for support, "And sometimes they are kept with the best in mind," he finished after Kakarott nodded in understanding.  Bardock cast a pointed look at his eldest son, who was still radiating irritation.

Vegeta grimaced, "So, without giving away how you may have come upon such knowledge...are the three of us going to be enough to keep Vegeta-sei safe from this sayian," he looked curiously over at Kakarott as his lover buried his face in his hands with a sigh.

Gohan straightened in his chair, but refused to make eye contact with anyone, "I may not be here," he confessed quietly.  Again Radditz was shocked, and wanted to demand what Gohan meant by 'may not be here' but Vegeta intercepted before he could get the words out.

Vegeta looked at Kakarott, "I take it you knew this," he spoke to Gohan at Kakarott's nod of confirmation, "How long will you be here?"

"If my records are correct....any where from eight to eleven more days....if I am here longer than that, then I won't be leaving," Gohan said, finally gaining enough courage to look at Radditz.  The commander's features were un-discernable, but his tail whipped about in agitation.  A sure sign he wasn't taking this newest news well.

"How long before Brolli reaches the planet?" Vegeta asked.

Gohan closed his eyes, shifting his awareness from the planet's surface.  He smiled as he felt Kakarott's presence piggy backing with him.  He frowned before returning, "If he doesn't get distracted again...two weeks?" he said, looking over at Kakarott.

Who shrugged, "I am still not very good at calculating the distances when they are this great."

"Telling my father he will have to wait at least two weeks before he can get his hands on the gravity chamber..." Vegeta frowned, "He's threatened to take it by force if I couldn't guarantee it would be back at the capital within a week."

Bardock frowned, "That doesn't sound like someone who is only interested in the technology," Radditz shifted slightly when his father verbalized his own thoughts.

Vegeta looked at Radditz, "You said no one else knew of my accession?" he asked.

"No one was in the training room with us when you ascended to the Legendary state, and the surveillance data was destroyed.  Unless someone who was in the surveillance room was aware enough of their surroundings to speak up before they were put in a tank..." Radditz said carefully.

"It could be something simple, like my father not wanting the lower classes to have such an advantage in training," Vegeta said thoughtfully.  He smiled at those in the room with him apologetically, "Or, more likely, he could not want those houses that have a true claim to the throne come to have it in their possession.  The crown has been in dispute before...."

Bardock grunted, old enough to remember, "With you as a true Legendary?  None of them have a chance now..."

"But my father doesn't know that...yet," Vegeta scratched his chin, "I think I may know of a way to stall him," he smiled as he suddenly had everyone's earnest interest, "We'll say you are allowing me to train here, before it has to be disassembled for transport," there were several grins at his words, "But," he held up a finger, "Someone here gave information back to the crown.  You trust all of your employees?" Vegeta asked Bardock.

Bardock frowned, "I trust them...but it doesn't mean they don't talk and gossip.  I wouldn't be surprised if the kitchen crew hasn't already started talking about how friendly you are with my son," Bardock smiled.

Vegeta sighed, "You probably won't like it...but can you get a crew together that knows how to hold their tongues?"

Bardock sat back in his chair, "That's a lot of help to be shooing out the door..."

"But necessary," Vegeta added.

Kakarott shifted in his seat as an idea struck him, "How about telling them they have a holiday?"

Both Vegeta and Bardock looked at him as though they were very interested that he continue, "New Moon* is in three days...." 

Now Bardock grinned, "They _have_ been working awfully hard.  I think a holiday is in order."

"And in order for some of them to get home in time...they should be leaving tomorrow," Kakarott grinned.

Bardock turned to Gohan, "How much help do you think we will need to finish the capsule project?"

Gohan frowned, "If they are only dedicated to the project?  I'd say three others...if they have the same credentials as you."

Bardock rubbed his hands together; "I think I will be inviting some old friends to gather for our first glimpse of the moon in two years, but I only know of two."

With the end of the conversation obvious, Radditz stood, "Excuse me," he said before walking towards the door. 

"I'll go talk with him," Kakarott said to Gohan at his friend's look of concern.

 

~o0o~~o0o~

 

"I thought you had given up on this project, Mom," Trunks said before sneezing as dust rose up from a coverlet he had removed from a piece of equipment.

Bulma sighed...she thought she had put it aside as unnecessary also...but it was the only thing that made sense now, "Gohan's going to need something to focus his energies on when he gets back.  I think this is a great project for him to head.  He'll be able to recruit help if he wants it, but can work on it solo if he feels the need for seclusion..."

Trunks sighed, "Yeah," he shook his head, thinking about what his father had very carefully avoided telling him when the prince had sat Goten and him down for 'the talk'.  If Goten's reaction to the news was anything to base comparison with, then Trunks really didn't wonder why Goku had declined to participate in 'the talk.'  He shook his head at the memory of his best friend's immature reaction to the news, bringing himself back to the present, "I can finish this Mom.  You can get back to the radar project," he assured his mother.

Bulma put the material she had in her hands into the wheeled cart as she smiled.  Her son had grown into a strong, thoughtful young man, "Okay.  Thank you sweetie," she said, patting his shoulder on her way out of the lab. 

 

~o0o~~o0o~

 

"What's wrong?" Kakarott asked as he caught up to his brother outside. 

"Wrong?" Radditz shook his head.  "I just need some time to think.  That was a lot of information to find out about the person I...."

"The person you what?" Kakarott asked after a few moments and his brother didn't continue.

"Forget it, Kakarott.  You heard him yourself; he thinks he's leaving.  He told me he couldn't commit to anything, but I didn't understand until he said that," Radditz said as he started walking towards the cared for borders of his father's holdings.

Kakarott kept pace with him, "So, this has nothing to do with him being a half-breed?" he shrugged when Radditz glanced at him, "You seemed to react poorly about that..."

"And how long _have_ you and his Highness known this anyway?" Radditz asked.

"A couple of months?" Kakarott hazarded a guess, "It's not like I marked it down on a calendar...."

Radditz sighed, "It doesn't matter.  I think I was more upset that he had fooled my senses for so long..."

Kakarott smiled, though it was difficult to see it in the dark, "He certainly is pretty enough to over look a few things..."

Radditz growled and mock punched his brother's shoulder; "I don't want to hear about it from you.  If, and that's a big if right now, if I decide I want to get to know him better before he goes, I want it to be information I learned on my own.  Not second hand stories..."

"Well, don't take too long deciding, Radditz.  Eight days isn't a whole lot of time," Kakarott said, taking his brother's hand and squeezing it.

"Okay...will you get out of here so I can think?" Radditz asked, exasperated.  Kakarott dropped his hand and slapped him on the shoulder before heading back to the house.  Radditz sat and began picking up pebbles he couldn't see from the ground by feel before tossing them short distances as he tried to think things through.

Hours later, Gohan climbed the stairs to the sleeping rooms.  Bardock's enthusiasm was contagious, and he had been working on the capsule project with his grandfather much longer than he had thought. 

He glanced sadly at Radditz' door as he passed before moving on to the room that had been assigned him when he first arrived.  He sat down in the chair in front of the desk, and slid his journal to him, picking a stylus up from the desk's level surface, and marking another day down on the inside of the back cover.  It wasn't the best record...he hadn't thought about marking the days down until after a week he had the journal, and the hours weren't exactly as clear-cut as 24 verses 30.  Still he had factored in miscalculation and the time it might take to those on Earth of his time to find the dragon balls. 

Six days if he had over estimated...eight if he had underestimated his calculations...  and if eleven...he'd be staying here.  The first couple of weeks he had been here, he had figured if both wishes had been used, then it could be a year, but then he had to go and rethink that.  If it were an Earth year, and then even one day to go searching for the dragon balls...he couldn't count on Shenron.

Gohan sighed as he opened the journal to a couple of worn pages.  He laughed at his terrible artistry.  Videl on one side, pretty, open eyes gazing at him, and Pan on the other...her tomboyish bandana holding her hair back. 

"Who are they?" Gohan dropped the journal in shock, having been too engrossed in his contemplation of his wife and daughter to notice Radditz at his doorway.

Gohan's hands shook as he reached to pick it up off of the floor.  He shook his head, indicating he didn't want to talk about them, "More secrets?" Radditz confronted, and Gohan stilled.  The commander had meant to go to bed, but had seen Gohan's light was on, and the door still open.

Gohan sighed, "M-my wife and daughter," he said quietly.

Radditz shifted his weight, not understanding the first term, "Like mate?" he asked.  If the kid were mated, it might explain a lot as to why Gohan was constantly warring with himself about their attraction to each other.

Gohan nodded, "I guess that's the closest..."

Radditz plucked the journal from Gohan's loose hold, flipping through pages of script he couldn't read before finally finding the pictures, "She doesn't look sayian..." if they weren't mates then....

"It's because she's not, Radditz," Gohan said, reaching for his journal, "Can I have that back now?" he asked as the larger man pulled it out of his reach.

Radditz frowned, but handed it back.  If the kid really wanted to push it, then he could have been a stain on the floor for taking his book, "You didn't seem the type..."

"What type would that be?" Gohan sighed, closing the journal and placing it out of the commander's reach.

"The type that prefers females..." one of Radditz' brows rose as Gohan laughed, "Funny?"

"Four and a half months ago, I would have told you I didn't seem to be the type that 'prefers' males," Gohan said, shaking his head.

"Why?  Males understand each other better.  Make better companions.  Know what will be found pleasing..." Radditz listed, "Females are fun, but they are a mystery.  I'd much rather be with a male if it's not for the purpose of breeding...."

Gohan shook his head, "Just...understand that where I come from, the concept is foreign...alien."

"Before four and a half months ago?" Radditz mind zipped back to Gohan's statement.

"Yes..." Gohan confirmed.

"Wasn't that around winter solstice?" Radditz asked acquiring an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Gohan sighed, "Yes, Radditz, it was," he said, placing his palms flat on the desktop.

Moments passed by in silence as Radditz let the implications of what Gohan was _not_ saying sink in.  The commander couldn't think of a tactful way to ask what he wanted to ask; had the kid not ever been with males before he had been gifted to Vegeta?  He already had regrets about buying him as a slave; it was certainly making things more complicated now....

"Since Vegeta and Kakarott are already ascended, we will start your training tomorrow, after the crew has cleared out," Gohan changed the subject, "And let those two practice ascending until the transformation comes to their aid without hesitation.  You should get some rest, Commander.  You have a long couple of days a head of you."

Radditz knew the kid was tactfully telling him to get the fuck out, so he took the opportunity to go back to his room without comment.

 

~o0o~

 

"Come on, Radditz.  Kakarott had this level down by the second day," Gohan said as he watched Radditz take a knee, panting hard.  They had been stuck at 30 g's for the last two days.

Radditz shook his head, sweat dripping from the tip of his nose to splat against the G.R. floor, "I...don't...know how...he did it...." It wasn't motivation.  Radditz knew he had plenty of motivation to show the kid he could do this, to show his brother he wasn't the weaker one....

Gohan let the commander continue to take his breather while he thought.  Maybe he was going about training incorrectly?  But it had worked for Kakarott....another thought hit him.  He had been training Kakarott, a person he knew could ascend...what if it just wasn't in the commander's scope of abilities?  He had trained with people, the sayian ones, all his life that didn't seem to have limits, only lack of motivation.  But the humans he had trained with, and Piccolo, had all found their maximum years ago.  Maybe he had been living with the exceptions of the sayian race all his life?  Maybe there was a limit as to what most sayians could do?

He sighed at himself with disgust and turned to the control panel, deactivating the gravity, "I am sorry, Radditz.  I have been pushing too hard," Gohan stated.

Radditz looked up and growled, "Don't treat me like a weakling!" he snarled as his tail whipped out behind him.

Gohan groaned mentally, "Radditz, you are not weak.  I could guess that you've made elite yourself if you wanted to issue challenge...." Gohan started.

Radditz spat at the floor, "I don't want to issue challenge," he hissed as he stood to his full height and started in Gohan's direction.

Gohan backed up until his back hit the wall.  He knew he was stronger than this sayian, but the man's height could certainly be intimidating at times.  He stayed put as Radditz placed both palms on the wall on either side of his head, "I don't want to issue challenge," Radditz whispered again, "I want to prove I don't have to be watched over...that I can be strong enough..."

Gohan shuddered as one of his thighs was encircled by the commander's tail.  He forced himself to keep eye contact as Radditz seemed to search his eyes for something, "You aren't weak," Gohan said quietly, hoping what ever it was Radditz was looking for was there.  He closed his eyes and leaned his face into the palm that came away from the wall to cup his cheek.

Radditz sighed and bent down to kiss the kid's forehead, "I want to be enough for you..."

"Radditz.  Look at me," Gohan requested, bringing his fingertips up to the commander's chest, "I am not leaving because I think you aren't enough for me..."

"Stay," Radditz insisted.

"Understand, if...if I could, I would stay here.  I've changed a lot in the last few months.  Some of those changes...I am not proud of," Gohan pressed a finger to Radditz' lips when the commander started to speak, "I never thought I would be the type of person to go back on vows I had made.  That's the part I am not proud of," Gohan clarified, "But I also know, I didn't understand all of what I was, when I made those vows.  I love my wife, but she's not sayian...."

Radditz gathered Gohan in his arms, resting his chin on the top of the shorter one's head, "I am trying...but I don't understand why you have to go...."

"The choice won't be mine," Gohan whispered.  He pressed his hands against the commander's chest, "We need to continue.  If I do go, I want to know that I did my best for you," Gohan said, walking back towards the controls, "We'll train at 20 g's," he growled as Radditz began to speak, "You can't move in 30 g's, and it's doing you no good.  20 g's and we'll work on your speed."

Radditz growled and punched the G.R. wall, knowing he wasn't being asked.  He set his stance and nodded his head for Gohan to turn the gravity up once again.

Bardock looked up from the workbench at the sound of the G.R. starting again.  He shook his head, and lowered his focus back to the microscope.  He smiled as he felt someone sneaking up behind him...knowing whom it was and that she was there because of the ki training Gohan had taught him.  He would let her have a bit of fun at his expense.

"You've gotten even nerdier in your old age," Selypa's voice spoke right into his ear. 

Bardock did a wonderful acting job, her warm breath feathering over the shell of his ear helping him shudder at the appropriate moment, "Selypa!" he turned and gathered her up in a bear hug, "Took you long enough to get here!"

Selypa did her best to act offended by the gesture, "Get your hands off me, you lug!"

Bardock laughed and did so, "By yourself?" he asked, acting surprised, even though he could feel her companion up at the main house.

Selypa shook her head, "No, but Toma went to the house.  I guess he didn't eat enough for the trip.  We flew non-stop," she added.

Bardock's eyes rounded, "You need to eat too!  Go, shoo!  I won't show you a damned thing until you've filled that belly of yours!" 

Selypa laughed and patted him on the cheek, which Bardock growled at, "Fine...but only because I _am_ hungry.  Not 'cause you ordered it!" she skipped away before Bardock could form a retort.

 

~o0o~

 

Vegeta grinned up at Kakarott, licking his lips in appreciation for Kakarott in his ascended form.  Kakarott shook his head, smiling down at the other, "I don't think Gohan's decision to have us training together was very wise."

"Mmmmm," Vegeta responded, licking Kakarott's lower lip, "Probably not..."

Kakarott purred, but shifted his weight to his knees, sitting between Vegeta's legs, "We need to be serious about this..."

Vegeta sighed, pulling his legs from around Kakarott so he could sit up, "Hnnn, yeah.  It's just so harrrd..." he ducked as Kakarott swung the tip of his tail at his head, "Okay!" he said, bringing his hands up in a mock warding gesture.

Kakarott grinned, and went to all fours, stalking to his prince and licking his nose, "Sorry...can't help it...."

Vegeta rubbed his nose off with the back of his hand, "Okay...this is _not_ **working**!"

Kakarott smirked, "We could always try to work it out of our system..."

Vegeta chuckled, and shook his head, "Yeah, like the last three times?  That's succeeded so well for us," he said before letting go of his ascension.

Kakarott pouted, but followed suit, "Back to the house?"

Vegeta nodded as he stood, "Yes.  We need to trade training partners," he said, though his response lacked enthusiasm.

Kakarott sighed and rose into the air, Vegeta a breath behind him.

 

~o0o~

 

"Okay," Selypa broke into Bardock's thoughts, "Our tummies are filled, but your kitchen is a mess."

Bardock chuckled, and turned to them, catching Toma in a hug he hadn't received earlier, "Ah, yes...sent almost everyone home, and no one left has the faintest clue about cooking.  How have you been?" he said over Toma's shoulder, and then asked the man directly.

"Pretty damned good," Toma beamed at his long time friend, "I was excited to hear you had something new up your sleeve, though.  Life without challenge is...well, not life!"

Selypa scooted her way between them, "Speaking of which, my stomach has been filled _now_ ," she reported, again, tapping her foot impatiently. 

Bardock shook his head and both men laughed at her antics.  He tapped the tip of her nose with his fingertip, "Okay.  Lets see what we have working before I show you what needs worked on," he said, taking her hand and wrapping his tail around Toma's wrist as he led them in the direction of the G.R.  He turned the monitor on once they were in front of it, "This gadget creates a confined gravity field.  It's good for training..." he started to explain.

"Oooh, who's in there with your son?" Selypa asked. 

"His name is Gohan, and he his also the genius who has supplied these new things," Bardock explained while Toma and Selypa tracked the sayians' movements in the machine.

"He's gotten faster," Toma pointed out.  It had been a while since he had seen Bardock's oldest train, but there was marked improvement.

Bardock grunted his agreement, "I hate to say it, but if you think he has improved, you should see Kakarott...speaking of which," Bardock smiled as he felt his youngest and his intended start back in their direction, "You'll be able to see that soon enough."

Selypa shook her head, not understanding Bardock's strange comment, "So, what else?" she asked, eager to get the tour over so the scientist could hand over assignments on the new project.

"Well, you know how scouters have been failing?" Bardock asked, stepping back towards the workbenches.

"Yeah, most of the planet has been rendered virtually blind..." Toma started.

"Well, the design has been improved to handle the energy intake," Bardock said, pulling out notes on the scouter adjustments, "It's really very simple; a few silicon resisters here," he said as he pointed at the schematics.

Selypa leaned in closer to the drawing, "Oh!  Clever!  But that doesn't explain why they have been failing..."

Bardock chuckled, "Because of Kakarott," he beamed proudly.

"So, that rumor he has issued Idomu is true?" Toma asked.

"Wow...he's a celebrity...yes, the rumor is true," Bardock commented and then confirmed.

"And the rumor the king wants the gravity simulator?" Selypa asked knowingly.

Bardock cleared his throat, "Yes, that is true as well.  We've managed to stall him..."

"At least for a week," a new voice spoke into the conversation, and Bardock's guests turned to see Kakarott standing in the doorway with someone they were unfamiliar with, but the family resemblance could not be mistaken.

"Selypa and Toma, I would like to introduce you to my son's intended, Prince Vegeta," Bardock stated as Kakarott and Vegeta made their way into the building towards them.

Both of his guests bowed at hearing the title.

Selypa hugged Kakarott, "Been a while since I've seen you cub," she commented.

Toma elbowed Bardock in the ribs, "Intended, huh?  Well, I haven't heard that in rumor..."

Vegeta smiled at the news, "Well, at least we've kept that off of my father's radar for now."

"As well as something else," Bardock smirked, but before he could continue, the G.R. wound down, and the door opened.

"Selypa!  Toma!" a tired but happy Radditz spotted his father's friends. 

"Get your ass over here," Selypa said with her hands on her hips, her tail waving a happy counter point to her behavior.

Radditz ducked his head as he came over, "Good to see you," he said as he folded the woman up in his arms.  He stuck his tongue out at Toma.

Who flicked his tail in the junior's direction, "Good to see you too," Toma laughed back at him, "I see you've improved," he shook his head, "I never thought you'd make it in the army.  Undisciplined..."

Radditz growled, "I was a kid, Toma.  Give me a break."

"I would have liked to," Toma joked back.

Gohan had hesitantly made his way over to the group by now, and Selypa elbowed Radditz, "Going to introduce us?  Or be as rude as ever?" her keen eyes did not miss the blush that came across Radditz' cheeks.

"This is Gohan," Radditz said, letting her go, and reaching a hand back to pull Gohan forward.

Gohan shifted forward.  His first reaction to the new comers was shock.  The female looked like Videl, and it had stalled his thinking for a moment.  "Gohan, this is Selypa and Toma," Radditz introduced him.

"Hi," Gohan managed.  His mind started functioning again.  She was quite a bit taller than Videl, and had a decidedly sayian nose and mouth, as well as her eyes being black....

Selypa covered her mouth with the back of her hand and mock whispered to Toma, "Have a shy one here.  Don't scare him off," she said, taking in his appearance.  She noted he did not have a tail immediately.

Gohan blushed as Radditz growled, and the rest of the group laughed.  Bardock cleared his throat, "Well, I was going to have Kakarott and his Highness show us why the scouters were failing," he said, turning to the two with an anticipatory look in his eyes.

Kakarott blushed and Vegeta stood straighter, "Sure...just not in here," the prince indicated.

Bardock was only too quick to agree, "Yeah, don't need things stirred up in here," he said, leading the way out of the building.  He stopped a good length from the building, but Kakarott and Vegeta continued out a ways more.

Selypa looked to Bardock for answers, "What?"

Bardock waved in the pair's direction, "Watch," he said, his anticipation enough to get her excited, even if she didn't know what for.

Kakarott and Vegeta grinned at each other before letting out twin yells.  One of Toma's eyebrows rose as he watched, not certain what it was he was supposed to be witnessing...

...Until their hair bled blond, and their eyes turned teal, "Holy fucking shit," Toma gasped.

Bardock laughed, "Yeah."

Selypa shook her head, "And the scouters couldn't handle the intake," she breathed, her tail tightening around her waist.

Bardock nodded, "Yes.  Which is probably a good thing..."

"Hmmm, something about not wanting the king to know..." Toma guessed shrewdly, "There has always been a reason the legendary has shown up..." he started.

Bardock grew much more serious, "And there is this time as well," he sighed.  When Selypa and Toma looked at him expectantly he sighed again, "It's a long story.  I'd like to show you the rest, and do the telling over dinner."

Selypa grinned, "Okay.  I can wait for the tale, but I want to know what else is new!"

Bardock shook his head at her enthusiasm, but led the group back to the building.  Kakarott and Vegeta let go of their transformations with heavy sighs and followed.  They caught up with the group just as Bardock was holding up a syringe, "...this."

Selypa pursed her lips, "If it works so well, why haven't you used it to regenerate his tail?" she asked, looking pointedly at Gohan.

Bardock stuttered, "I-I..."

Gohan blushed, and Radditz' face took on a lusty gleam, "Hmmm, yes," he said, turning to Gohan.

Gohan blinked at the group rather flustered by the sudden attention, "I-I haven't had it since I was a kid..." he started.

Selypa shook her head at him, and swiped the syringe from Bardock's hand, "Come on, you still are a kid.  What's a sayian without their tail?" she said, making a circling motion with her finger.

Gohan gulped, "Can...can I at least have a little bit of privacy?" he asked.  Having his pants pulled down in front of all these people....

Selypa frowned, and was about to comment, when Radditz took the syringe from her, "If someone is going to do this, it will be me," he said, a bit more possessively than planned.

Selypa held her hands up, "But I want to be present."

"Why?" Gohan groaned.

Selypa gave him a withering look, "I am a scientist.  I want to see it in action."

Bardock laughed, "Come on guys...we can get something ready to cook outdoors while these two are playing nurse."

Kakarott and Vegeta grinned at each other while Toma shook his head, turning towards the entry.  Gohan waited until the four of them left before looking back at Radditz and Selypa, "You know what you are doing?" he asked nervously.

Radditz frowned, "No..."

Gohan looked at him bug eyed, but Selypa spoke up, "I'll point him in the right direction," she assured Gohan, "I am a nurse as well as a scientist."

Gohan turned, sighing as he lowered his pants.  He pulled them down just enough for his tail scar to be exposed, and closed his eyes.  "Okay, now, you'll want to insert the needle here," Selypa spoke, and Gohan twitched as her cool fingertip touched his skin.

Radditz lined the needle up, "This is probably going to hurt," he stated.

Gohan nodded and grit his teeth, "Yeah...just do it, before I lose my nerve," he screeched as the needle poked through his skin, and then hissed, "Ouch," he whined as he felt the liquid being injected, causing skin and tissue to expand to accommodate.

Radditz brought the needle away from the skin, and both he and Selypa waited for something to occur.  And waited....

"Hmmm," Selypa mused, "Bardock said something about injuries," she said, just before she picked a cutter up from the table.

Radditz growled and took the object from Selypa's hand, tempted to stab her with it... "Get the fuck out of here before I kill you," he hissed.  Selypa backed up quickly as her hand was let go.

Radditz gathered Gohan to his lap before the younger could fall the rest of the way to the floor.  "She's probably right," the commander said between clenched teeth.

"R-right about what?" Gohan panted.

"For the formula to take affect, there will have to be an injury of some sort," Radditz shook his head, "This was a bad idea..."

Gohan grit his teeth and rotated on Radditz lap, "Go ahead."

"Gohan...I don't think I can..."

"Just do it, Radditz!" Gohan hissed back at him.  If the pressure wasn't released, he was going to scream.

Radditz grit his teeth and wiped the cutter as best as he could on his clothing, "I am sorry," just before he made an incision.  He was exceedingly surprised Gohan didn't scream or curse or...and then it made sense; Gohan had blacked out from the pain.

Radditz dropped the cutter to the floor, but resisted the urge to pull Gohan up.  Instead he ran his fingers through his hair, "I am sorry," he repeated, wishing this had been thought through better.

Gohan shifted the tiniest bit, whining before he gasped.  Radditz thought he had come to for a moment, but that wasn't the case.  The kid was still blacked out...and then a tail just sprouted.

Radditz couldn't think of another way to put it, one moment, just that little sign of discomfort, and the next it was back, smacking him wetly in the arm.  He rolled Gohan over gently, cushioning the kid's head in the crook of his elbow as he brushed strands of hair from his forehead, "You in there kid?" he asked quietly.

Gohan purred at the gentle fingers against his face before he was fully aware of his surroundings, "Huh?" he grimaced in remembrance of the pain, but it was only a ghost to his senses. 

Radditz levered him up, and kissed his forehead, "It came back," he said with mixed emotions.  He was happy the tail had come back; he just didn't want to have to do anything like it again...ever.

Gohan struggled weakly to sit up.  He frowned at his lack of motor skills, "A little help," he requested.

Radditz chuckled and helped him sit up the rest of the way, before grabbing Gohan's tail gently, and pulling it forward for him to inspect.  Gohan grinned, "Wow," he said, taking the tip of it from the commander's warm hand, "It's going to take some time getting used to it..."

Selypa backed the rest of the way out of the building as things became a little more intimate between the other two.

~o0o~

***A/N** _– I am going with the eight-year moon cycle for planet Vegeta.  In this case, sayians think of 'new moon' as the first time it is actually visible after two years of darkness._

~o0o~~o0o~

  
  


 


	11. Chapter 10

##  _Idomu_

### By [Macha ](mailto:bynp@comcast.net)

### Chapter 10

 

~o0o~

"...and that's the gist of it," Bardock finished filling Selypa and Toma in on what had been occurring in and around his family for the last few weeks.

An ember in the bed of coals popped into the silence that followed the story as Toma and Selypa digested both the food they had eaten, and the story they had been told.  Kakarott used a stick to reach for a tidbit still left on the spit, and Radditz belched.  Gohan was trying his damnedest not to purr as Radditz played lazily with his tail.  Vegeta lay with his head on Kakarott's thigh, the bottom of his feet warming at the fire bed, watching coals glow different intensities of red from between narrowed lids.

"Well, had the capsule project been done, and we had had access to it, I would have brought us some drink for this occasion," Selypa spoke into the silence.  The suns had barely set for the night, a purplish glow still hanging out over the horizon.

Bardock waved her off, "I am the host tonight," he grinned conspiratorially, "And I think I may have just the thing stashed away," he said as he shifted to his feet.

"Need some help?" Toma asked.

Bardock looked to the sky in the direction of the set suns, "Yeah, if I want to be back in time," and Toma climbed to his feet to follow Bardock back to the house.

Selypa watched the younger generation in contented silence.  There had been times she had been concerned Bardock's cubs would never settle down.  It gave her a warm, motherly feeling to watch her sister's sons with their respective partners.  If they were happy, then she was happy.  She would worry about the events of the story tomorrow.  Tonight was a night to celebrate.

Toma and Bardock made no attempt to hide their return.  The group around the fire could hear them laughing, and their feet shuffling over the uneven ground long before they saw their darkened forms.  Toma handed a bottle to Radditz as Bardock dropped one off with Kakarott and Vegeta.  "Stingy?" Selypa joked as she sat up.

"Yeah, but I saved the biggest bottle for the three of us!" Bardock boasted, holding it out to her.

Radditz nuzzled his nose into Gohan's neck before shifting him over, "Got to get this opened up," he explained apologetically.

Gohan shifted his weight so he wasn't leaning on the commander any more, watching with sleepy eyes as Radditz undid a foil wrapper from the bottle top, and then proceeded to work the cap off.  Kakarott was grinning as he did the same, Vegeta watching him curiously.

Radditz recapped the bottle lightly once he had the top completely off, and stood, holding a hand out to Gohan, who took it and stood with him.  Kakarott and Vegeta kissed once before standing and turning to face the sky.  Bardock stood between Selypa and Toma, grinning madly, "Been a while," he said.  The eagerness in his voice was contagious, and Gohan found himself anticipating the retrograde moonrise on an alien planet.  This was something he would likely never experience again....

Bardock's tail lashed excitedly as he felt his instincts tuning into his surroundings.  He squeezed Toma and Selypa to his sides briefly before letting up, and holding his bottle to the sky, "Come, see!  Two years you have hidden your face from us.  The Sayians still thrive!" he shouted just as the first tip of a newly waxing moon peaked up over the horizon.

Gohan started as Toma and Selypa let out with the happiest battle cries he had ever heard.  Kakarott howled as Vegeta roared.  He really jumped as Radditz hugged him closer with one arm and shouted while raising the bottle with his other hand.  It was infectious though, and Gohan got in on the second round of shouting with a whoop of his own.  It was difficult not to, just watching even this sliver of moonlight increase had his heart pounding wildly.  He found it sort of odd that Vegeta-sei's moon would have this much more of an affect on him than Earth's moon....

His thought was interrupted as Radditz passed the now open bottle to him, "Drink," Radditz grinned down at him.

Gohan took a cautious sip as he heard Vegeta choking on whatever it was Kakarott had made him drink.  He passed the bottle back, his eyes tearing up.  He watched the elder sayians' tails twine happily together as he tried to analyze what he had just swallowed.  It had a strange flavor, but not unpleasant, and it burned all the way down, leaving a very warm glow in its wake.

Raddtiz shook his head at him, and took a larger swallow before handing the bottle back, "Drink," he whispered into Gohan's ear as Gohan raised a hand to decline.

Gohan conceded and took a larger sip this time, figuring this was a part of his sayian heritage he would not get to experience again, and knew he should take full advantage of it while he could, "It burns," he complained quietly as he tapped his chest with a fist.

"Mmmm," Radditz agreed, pressing his lips against Gohan's. 

Gohan's awareness narrowed as he returned Radditz' kiss.  The moon at his back, the sayian in front of him, and the warm feeling that continued to spread through him.  He sighed, leaning his head back as he took the bottle from Radditz' hand as it was pressed into his.   He took another sip as Radditz slowly undid the buttons to his shirt, and then gasped as the other sayian's unexplainably hot hands smoothed lightly over his exposed chest.

Gohan giggled as Radditz went to his knees and reached for the bottle.  He licked his own lips as Radditz caught and held his gaze with his, and licked the lip of the bottle suggestively before actually tilting the bottle back and taking another swig.  Gohan bent his head to capture Radditz' mouth before the commander could lick the liquid left behind.  He closed his eyes as he sucked on the taller sayian's lower lip, smiling lightly as he pressed his tongue between them. 

Radditz captured Gohan's mouth hungrily with his, delving his tongue into the standing sayian's mouth, bringing his arms around his hips and pulling him as close as possible without losing lip contact.  He sighed and purred as tentative hands ran through his hair, nuzzling his nose into Gohan's chest before reaching his tongue out to lick and taste the younger's skin.  Sucking lightly as his tongue continued to twirl, before nipping gently and pulling back the tiniest bit.  Gohan's tiny gasp flashed over his senses, leaving a stronger burning desire in its path.  He set the bottle on the ground.

Gohan moaned as Radditz tortured his neck.  He shuddered as the commander's strong hands ran up his back, kneading his skin and muscles on their way back down his spine before loosely capturing his tail, and pulling it gently from where he had it twined around his waist.  He gasped and leaned his cheek to the top of Radditz' head, his fingers twisting in the thick, dark locks, as his tail was stroked worshipfully. 

Radditz chuckled quietly as he let go of the tail briefly to work the pants off of Gohan's hips.  He kissed Gohan's breastbone before licking his way over to a nipple, sucking on it as he ran his fingers gently through the fur of the kid's tail.  He purred encouragingly as he sat back, dragging the other and turning him at the last moment so Gohan sat in his lap.

Gohan whined as Radditz' fingers worked magic over his skin and tail, "No fair," he said, clutching at Radditz' thighs.

"Mmmm," Radditz thought about it while kissing down the back of Gohan's neck, "I want to touch you," he cajoled quietly, "Let me touch you," he breathed into Gohan's ear.

Gohan whined, but let his hands relax their tension as the other continued to run his hands intimately over his body. 

Radditz snagged the bottle's neck with his tail and dragged it within reach of his hand.  He held the lip edge to Gohan's lips, and slowly tipped it back as he ran his other hand down Gohan's chest, his stomach, below his navel before diverting course and capturing the other sayian's tail again.

Gohan shuddered as the last sip of liquid fire followed almost the same path as Radditz' palm down his body.  He whimpered as it didn't continue in the direction he was hoping for, but gasped as his tail was caught and brought up with gentle fingers.

Radditz took one more sip before putting the bottle down, and purring into Gohan's ear mischievously before nipping at it playfully.  He ran the tip of Gohan's tail over the kid's naked body.  Feather light touches over exposed thighs, around his hip.  He kissed his way down the other's neck as Gohan wiggled and gasped at the twin sensations happening between tail and skin, swirling his tongue over the his shoulder as he brought Gohan's tail tip up to his stomach. 

Gohan was shocked he could feel the fur running over his skin.  He would have thought the sensations running through his tail would have overwhelmed them.  He gasped as the fur was traced over his hip, surprised at how much more sensitive it had become...he didn't remember these sort of sensations coming from it as a child...he closed his eyes and leaned his head away slightly as Radditz kissed down his neck.  He moaned quietly as his tail was pulled over his stomach.

Radditz took a deep breath through his nose, enjoying the scent of excitement rolling off of the other.  He sucked gently at Gohan's shoulder as he brought his own tail into the game.  He bit down gently as he wrapped his furry appendage around Gohan's erection, adding a bit more pressure as Gohan bucked away from him, willing the younger to hold still, applying a hand to the his hip.

Gohan almost purred as Radditz nipped at his shoulder, but the sensation of the other's tail wrapping around his erection made his body jerk in surprise.  He stilled as the pressure at his shoulder increased, groaning as his own tail trailed up his chest, and then the fur was brushing over one nipple, "Aaaha," it was like drowning...so many sensations at once becoming overwhelming, but willing himself to stay submerged.

Radditz purred into the hold he had on Gohan's shoulder as he felt the other submit to what was happening.  He began contracting his tail around the other as he continued to brush Gohan's tail over the kid's nipples.

Gohan whined as the commander started building a rhythm, his hip still held in place.  His head thrashed once, but Radditz leaned his cheek against the side of his neck, and he settled on that account as well.  He gasped and sighed, whining again as he wanted to rock in time to the other's manipulation of his body.

Radditz ran the tip of other's tail across Gohan's throat, intentionally running the sweet scented fur beneath his nose.  Then he pulled it down the Gohan's side, before pulling across his stomach, and up the other side.  The whole time, continuing to manipulate Gohan's arousal with his tail.  He enjoyed how the teasing actions made Gohan's body tense and relax.  He growled, his eyes narrowing slightly in possession as Gohan began to tense more often.  He moved his mouth to a different location along Gohan's shoulder before drawing the hand holding the kid's tail to Gohan's hip.  He held both in place with one hand, while he increased the stroking pressure of his own tail.

The commander licked up Gohan's neck, to stop and suck at the kid's jaw.  It was so, so tempting to bite through, and he needed to remove his mouth from the tempting area. 

Gohan barely noticed his back arch away from Radditz' torso.  His sole focus had become what the commander's tail was doing to him.  He could feel the intensity of Radditz' emotions vibrate through the commander's body, but didn't know what they meant...only that it sent him screaming over the edge.

Radditz used us tail to aim as much of Gohan's climax into his palm as he could.  He let both tail and hip go as Gohan's body relaxed against him once again, listening to the kid's panting, feeling the rise and fall of the other against him.   He closed his eyes and purred into Gohan's ear before nuzzling his nose around the back of his neck, running his nose up into the other's hair. 

Gohan sighed as he leaned forward, giving Radditz the room needed to continue to pant hot puffs of air over his neck and into his hair, shivering at the strange sensations.  He leaned forward more as he felt Radditz shift them in that direction... expectation caused his heart to pound.

Radditz ran his hand down Gohan's back as the other's weight shifted, and the smaller went to all fours before him.  He bit is lip briefly as he used his free hand to move his pants down in order to free his erection and his tail from the binding material.  He twined his tail with Gohan's, pulling both to the side as he slicked himself with the harvest; inadequate, he knew, but the only thing he had all the same.

Gohan gasped as his tail was directed to the side by Radditz'.  He whined and settled into Radditz gentle hold as a hand came to steady his hip.  Lust and need flared through him when he felt Radditz at his entrance, and he pressed back, only to have Radditz' hand on his hip hold him still, "Please," he said, as he curled his tail tighter with the one holding his.

Gohan's gentle command had Radditz pressing in and gasping.  Radditz shuddered at Gohan's trilling call, and he clutched at one of his shoulders with his now free hand. 

"Radditz," Gohan couldn't believe how good it felt to have him there.  He closed his eyes as he continued to pant, head lowering below his shoulders and mouth held open slightly by emotion more than for the need of air.  Neither Kakarott nor Vegeta had ever stirred this in him.  He whined as Radditz withdrew, and called out as his commander came back.

Radditz' tail shook with contained emotion as he rocked into the other again.  He shook his head to clear it, but the feelings stayed.  He'd been with so many others for his own physical pleasure...but this was devastating.  He stilled as he fought with himself to control his reactions.  To finally have this...and know he couldn't keep it.  He howled as he thrust into the other again, anger, sadness and hope conflicting in him.  Fates were so cruel!

Gohan accepted Radditz' action, keening to him over his shoulder, lost, but not blind or deaf...or helpless.  He pressed himself back when he felt the other stall again.  "Radditz, please," he begged.  Yes, they may not have many more opportunities, but those they did, should be taken full advantage of.

Radditz growled leaned over the other's back, licking the upper portion of his spine as pressed into the other again.  He let go of Gohan's shoulder pressing his hand to the ground besides him before running his other hand up Gohan's ribs as he angled his head slightly, and bit down at the back of the kid's neck. 

Gohan planted himself to keep their balance.  He shuddered at the animalistic hold Radditz used on the back of his neck, realizing there was so much more behind it Radditz wasn't expressing.  As much as he wanted to encourage Radditz to increase the rhythm between them, he knew it he needed to stay steady.

The commander clutched at the ribs beneath his palm as he thrust into the other.  He growled, letting go of maybes to begin living in the moment.  And the moment demanded he reveal everything.  He keened quietly to the other as he let his instincts guide him.

Gohan howled as Radditz finally started moving without the hesitations that had been holding him back.  He panted as his needs were finally met, reveling in the sensation of Radditz burying himself deeply.  Lusting the way his body was being used to sate the needs of the other, and loving the way his needs were being fulfilled.  Choked purrs and groans were used to bate the other into continuing. 

Radditz loosed his teeth from their hold.  The kid wasn't going to reject him.  He snarled and kissed the place he had abused, licking at the heated skin, a slightly metallic flavor telling him where he had left bruised teeth marks.  He let go of Gohan's ribs to wind his hand under his chest and twist his hand to grip his shoulder from beneath.  He ran his cheek over the back of Gohan's head, growls and half curses flowing from his lips.

Gohan pressed the back of his head against Radditz' face.  He winced at the grip on his shoulder, but refused to increase his ki to compensate for the pain.  He let his body take what Radditz was dishing out without the advantage. 

"Oh gods," Radditz gasped before he reared back, his fingers leaving welts as they drew away from Gohan's shoulder.  He howled at the moon as he crushed into Gohan's body one last time. 

Gohan shuddered as Radditz drew away from his back, and howled in response to Radditz' call, his second unhindered release soaking soil.

The moon watched over her sons in non-judgmental, ever-patient silence.

 

~o0o~

 

Kakarott grinned, suppressing his ki so low he doubted Vegeta would have been able to find him, even with the aid of a scouter.  He had dragged Vegeta away from the fire in a different direction than his father's group had taken.  Then he had kissed him breathless before taking off, calling over his shoulder, "Come and get me."  He liked the thought of Vegeta stalking him.

Now he waited in anticipation of turning the hunter into the prey.  His tail dragged over the dirt in his excitement as he grinned even wider.  Of course, he'd still be happy if Vegeta somehow managed to outsmart him and he ended up as the prey any way.  He'd just have to wait and see: the ambiguity of it created quite the thrill.

Vegeta snarled even as he grinned.  He hadn't realized Kakarott was into playing games: well, not this sort of game.  When he got his hands on his intended, there would be no mercy.  "Drug me with that drink, and then run off?" Vegeta growled to himself, before taking a moment to stand still and scent the air.  It was difficult to scent any thing over the smell and taste of his own arousal.  He'd lost his shirt sometime back; the annoying garment had been too hot.  The wind shifted, and Vegeta actually caught the taste of Kakarott on the air before he scented the other.  He grinned wickedly, sliding his tongue over slightly extended canines.  He picked a stone up and threw it in one direction while he moved silently in another.

Kakarott's head turned to the noise instinctively, even as his mind told him it was a trick.  His body was too keyed up to listen to reason.  By the time he turned his head back it was too late.  Vegeta had him pinned to the ground, the tackle knocking the wind from his lungs.  His eyes opened wide as Vegeta smirked down at him while growling.  He bucked under the other slightly, not to throw him off, but to reveal his excitement at having been caught.

Vegeta pressed his weight into the other.  He hadn't missed Kakarott's indication, but there was pay back to be had.  He snagged the other's wrists from where hands had started to hold his hips, and pinned them to the ground, adding just enough extra of a push to indicate they were supposed to stay put.

Kakarott whined but held his hands still as Vegeta ran his fingertips with deceptive gentleness up his shirt, before gripping the hem of the collar and ripping it down.  Kakarott purred while shifting ever so slightly under the other.  He gasped as his hair was used to pull his head back, and Vegeta began nipping at his neck.  He shuddered as his prince's tongue pressed into the pulse at his throat, leaning his head away from the pressure. 

Vegeta's eyes narrowed, and he growled again, pulling his mouth up to kiss at Kakarott's lips as he pulled the shirt the rest of the way off.  He pressed his palm against Kakarott's chest to plant him back against the dirt once the garment was removed.  He grinned viciously as he began running his nails over bared skin.

Kakarott panted and hissed as Vegeta tortured him.  The night air cooled over the places Vegeta had left nail marks.  He shrieked as Vegeta bit over a nipple, panting and then arching his back.  He moaned as Vegeta purred around the sensitive flesh. 

Vegeta tugged gently on the responsive flesh as he pulled his mouth away to shift his attention to other nipple.  He ran the tip of his thumb over the skin exposed to faint moonlight before laving his tongue over it.  He pressed his hips down as Kakarott shifted wantonly under him, and then sucked hard, adding more weight when the body under his arched. 

Kakarott felt his head thrash to the side as the rest of his body was held still.  He panted as his eyes opened to stars in the night sky.  He brought his chin down to look at the top of Vegeta's head as the other continued to torment his skin with his mouth.  He howled as nails were run harshly down his sides, then settled and panted as Vegeta kissed his skin soothingly.  He shivered as the other stood, licking his lips as he gazed from his place on the ground as Vegeta kicked his boots off, and then started removing his pants.

Vegeta sneered down at the other, "Going to get rid of those?" he asked, pointedly looking down at the garment still covering Kakarott's lower half.  He smirked as the other quickly got to his knees to wrestle the material off.  His eyes opened in shock as Kakarott finished the task, went back down on his knees, and then gripped his hips, pulling him with in range of his mouth.  He howled at the sky as he was engulfed.  He whined as he closed his eyes.  This hadn't been part of the plan that had been forming in his head...but it was so difficult not to sucome to it.  He growled, running his hands through the other's spikes before pulling his head away.  He leaned down and kissed the other as Kakarott looked up at him questioningly.  He leaned even more, pressing Kakarott back until he had no option but to sit on the ground.  Then Vegeta straddled his hips again.

Kakarott purred and nuzzled at Vegeta's neck as the other slid onto his lap.  He gasped as Vegeta's tail snaked its way between them, and captured both of their erections, binding them together as the prince used his hands to clutch at his shoulders, pressing their torsos together as their lips met again.

Vegeta rolled his hips as his tail contracted around both of them.  He purred before gasping and moving his head to the side to kiss down Kakarott's jaw.  He pressed his cheek to the other's, reaching the tip of his tongue to the lobe of Kakarott's ear, capturing it, then sucking before biting down gently and purring.

Kakarott sucked at Vegeta's shoulder before he stalled and gasped.  He lifted one hand to Vegeta's back, running his fingertips seductively over Vegeta's bowed spine.  He licked at the base of Vegeta's throat as his other hand was pulled up from the ground by Vegeta's, and their weight started shifting.  He shifted his legs from beneath the other as Vegeta pulled him over, barely catching his prince's weight before Vegeta slammed his own back into the ground.  He gazed curiously down at the other before gasping as Vegeta's legs hooked around his hips.  He whined as his prince's warm tail slid away from them, and Vegeta lifted his hips to tease his understanding.

Vegeta smirked as Kakarott's countenance became one of comprehension.  He licked his lips in anticipation as he let his legs loosen just enough for Kakarott to be able to reach a hand between them.  He gasped, arching his head back as he felt Kakarott press against him, and then enter.

"Vegeta," Kakarott whispered worshipfully as he continued to press into his prince.  He panted with exertion, trying to slow his pace.  His prince's teeth were suddenly at his throat, the growl coming from the other confusing him for a moment.  Had he not read Vegeta's intentions correctly?  He gasped as Vegeta pressed himself up.  No...no he had.  He growled as he pressed down roughly, thrilling as Vegeta's gasp of surprise caused the prince's mouth to be removed from his throat.

Vegeta felt the tension in his arms lessen as Kakarott ran into him deeply.  He groaned, shifting his weight onto his back, but not loosing the hold he had on the other's hips with his legs.  He snarled and pulled the other to him with his legs as Kakarott shifted back.   

Kakarott gasped in surprise at Vegeta's move.  He shifted forward and kissed beneath Vegeta's chin as he thought he finally understood.  He slammed himself into the other, receiving a wondrous call.  He nipped at skin between his teeth, growling as he did it again.  This...gods, this was new.  He rocked down into the other again, purring in appreciation as Vegeta's legs cinched around his hips even tighter.  He wrapped his tail around Vegeta's ankles as he sunk in again, and the other tilted to him.

Vegeta gasped as the other pounded into him satisfactorily.  He was slightly embarrassed by the high pitched yell he emitted when he circled his own erection with his tail, but it didn't stop him from starting to stroke himself as he clutched at Kakarott's back and sides with his hands and arms.

Kakarott hissed as Vegeta's nails crossed over places the prince had already scratched, but he growled as he felt the fur of Vegeta's tail rub against his abs, and licked his lips before pressing them to Vegeta's chest.  He growled as he nipped at skin, licking away the pain, and moving on.  One of his hands found its way to Vegeta's hair, and he alternately clutched and soothed, not certain why he had threaded it there, but it felt damn good running through his fingers.

Vegeta's tongue once again ran over his canines between gasps; he could feel them lengthening, not oorazu, but the glands behind them inflamed.  He shook his own head as he noted Kakarott's throat was so temptingly close.  He growled and shifted his head forward, latching on and growling as Kakarott stalled, urging him to continue with a squeeze and pull of his legs.

Kakarott panted in shock as Vegeta's mouth came to his neck.  He could feel the other's teeth so close to puncturing...was... was this what Vegeta wanted?  Now?  He growled, and tightened his grip in the other's hair, adding pressure to the direction Vegeta was already moving.  He wanted this, and now was as good a time as any as far as he was concerned.

Vegeta growled and bit through at Kakarott's urging.  Kakarott's blood had always stirred this in him, but he had constantly refrained from releasing the amalgamation hormones.  It hadn't been appropriate before, but now with Kakarott as his equal, not even the king could deny this, despite what complications such a union could cause for a future king.  He growled again as Kakarott jerked into him, panting.  He closed his eyes, and opened his mind to the other as he felt relief in the roof of his mouth.  A brief moment of realization the mental part of this was extremely similar to ki sensing before Kakarott's mind was settling with his.  ~ _Kakarott_ ~

"Nne-ah!" ~ _Vegeta_ ~ Kakarott mentally sighed Vegeta's name.  It was so right.  He could feel the other meshing with him; he had always belonged here. 

Vegeta settled briefly, analyzing, tasting, feeling.  This was right.  He moved his mouth to the other side of Kakarott's neck, puncturing there with his lower canines, releasing the catalyst hormones and finishing his side of the bond.

Kakarott howled as he felt Vegeta lock with him.  Even knowing it was coming, and knowing it was right...so shocking.  A mental nudge from Vegeta had him bending his head down and striking at Vegeta's exposed neck.

Vegeta gasped as Kakarott began his part of the bond.  He whined, in agony, the unfinished link almost a physical pain.  Kakarott shifted quickly to end Vegeta's misery.  They both howled in completion at Kakarott's second strike, power flaring through their completed bond.

It was done.  There was nothing that would come between them.  Not even death of one would keep them apart for long.  Now Vegeta understood why bonding wasn't thought of as an optimal relationship... but if it were supposed to happen, it would, and he couldn't, nor would he, change it.  ~ _Kakarott_ ~  It was so good to feel the other _there_.

Kakarott purred into Vegeta's neck, exhausted.  ~ _Vegeta_ ~ he responded in like.  Nothing more needed to be communicated.  It was all revealed.

 

~o0o~ 

 

King Vejita sat in the council chamber long after the others had left the room.  He read per functionally over documents he was supposed to sign, his mind wandering to other...problems.

Questions surrounding his son...and his son's actions.  Such as, why would Vegeta go to Bardock's?  When the concubine who had rejected him was residing there?  Well, he knew why, he had sent him, but to stay?  Take the offer to train in the new machine there?

No, something was off.  His son should have taken the opportunity presented to take revenge on the concubine, and the concubine's family: not stay to train; not become a houseguest.  He growled, before pressing the intercom button, "Nappa."  He was annoyed he had to resort to this old technology to summon his guard, but the scouters had become unreliable.

"Yes your Majesty?" Nappa's voice came back over the same circuit.

"Come to the council chambers," the king commanded.

"Yes your Majesty," Nappa's steady voice replied.

Moments later, the council room's doors were admitting the tall General, who bowed as the doors closed behind him, "You wished to see me, your Majesty?" Nappa asked.

King Vejita beckoned him closer, "Yes...I have questions about my son's...motives.  I need you to find out everything you can about this ex-concubine, 'Kakarott'."

Nappa bowed, "Yes your Majesty.  Consider it done."

King Vejita smiled approvingly, "I know.  You may start now."

Nappa nodded once, tightening his tail around his waist before retreating three steps, turning, and walking towards the doors.

The king sighed as he settled back into his chair.  He would have answers soon, and then he would know how to act. 

 

~o0o~

 

Gohan woke peacefully, if uncomfortably the next morning.  The yellow sun had already risen by a couple of hours, the orange one barely making itself known on the horizon.  He stretched, and purred as Radditz' arm contracted around his torso in a bid to keep him from leaving.  "Wake up sleepy," Gohan chuckled, nudging the commander in the side with a fist.

Radditz growled, but his eyes opened slowly.  "Gods, what time is it?" he asked, covering his eyes with one hand, and groaning.  His body jerked as awareness finally communicated he wasn't alone, turning quickly, smirking, and then planting a very unexpected, although welcome, kiss to Gohan's lips. 

Gohan closed his eyes and grinned into the kiss.  He sighed as Radditz pulled away, "We have to get started."

Radditz growled in protest, "I like it here."

Gohan purred, and licked up the other's neck, "Yeah," he sighed, "But we have things to do," he said, making another move to stand.

Radditz clutched at his torso again, groaning, growling, and then rolling on top of Gohan, smirking down at him.  "In such a rush to kick my ass?  I didn't think _it_ was all that bad," he said, leaning over a bit more, kissing at Gohan's neck.

Gohan gasped, bucking slightly under the other.  "Actually, I won't be kicking your ass today," he said, which caused Radditz to pull back, "Change of plans.  Your brother gets to kick your ass.  I am going to help your father, Selypa and Toma get a good start on the capsule project."

Radditz sighed, backing up to his knees, holding out a hand to Gohan to help him sit up. 

Which Gohan took with an apologetic smile.

He spent the next three days wishing he _had_ given in to Radditz' playfulness.  The pace for the capsule project was frantic.  The imminent threat of Gohan being taken sooner than he had calculated constantly weighed on their minds, making them work harder in order to get it finished quickly. Mishaps such as exploding capsules and contents being crushed in the reduction process cropped up too often.  Some of the results were funny, but some were dangerous.  Selypa had to be tanked after an exploding capsule sent a projectile into her knee, smashing it to uselessness. 

Gohan added a locking mechanism to the design, so the button had to be twisted before it could be pressed to open the contents.  Sayians were much more active than humans, and the likelihood the button would be depressed on accident more likely.

It was nearing midnight the third day, the day Gohan had calculated would be the earliest he would be leaving, when they finally had a dozen working models finished.  The four of them stood staring at the finished products, the elation of having done it not fully hitting them in their exhausted, stressed states of mind.

"Tomorrow, we work on a way to mass produce these things," Toma yawned, "This is tedious shit."

The other three nodded their complete agreement.  Selypa turned from the project first, walking zombie like towards the door.  Her unexplained example was followed by Toma.  Gohan reached a hand for Bardock's arm as the other sayian turned, "I plan on taking one," Gohan said as he reached forward, taking one of the capsules.  Bardock nodded, rubbing his eyes.  "Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure kid," Bardock said tiredly.

"Do you have any whole seeds for the flour?" he asked.

Bardock leaned his head back, thinking coming to him slowly, "Yeah," he grinned, "In the smaller warehouse.  It's where I do my brewing," he explained.

Gohan looked up at him, scratching his chest and yawning, "You got enough energy to go there before you hit the house?"

"Mmmm," Bardock mumbled, turning to lead the way.

Another half an hour later, and Gohan was walking behind Bardock with a small bag filled with seeds.  He trudged tiredly up the stairs, sighing as he passed Radditz' room to go into his own.  He covered his eyes, groaning as he turned the light on.  A moment later, his unhappy eyes had adjusted to the illumination, and he was gathering things up on the desktop into a small pile.  First, was the bag of seeds.  Next were his rings.  Lastly was his journal.  He flipped to the back cover, going over the calculations once again.  So, he hadn't underestimated.  He smiled sadly, placing it on the pile, and then capsulizing the small pile of belongings. 

Gohan opened the desk drawer, and pulled out the leather thong he had placed there, tying it at the base of the capsule button before threading the ends of the tie behind his neck, and knotting it securely, the capsule coming to rest just below his neck.  He fingered the small object once, before shutting the light off to his room and walking to Radditz'.  He purred tiredly as he lay down, and one of the commander's arms surrounded him, tugging him under the covers with ease.

 

~o0o~~o0o~

 

Videl's hands shook with excitement as she picked up the receiver, "Hello?" a frown came quickly to her face as she listened to Bulma tell her of yet **_another_** set back in the radar's development, "Okay.  Just keep me posted...thank you...Good night."

She set the phone back down, mumbling under her breath, when what she really wanted to do was curse and scream...but that might wake Pan, or her husband's parents.  So, she seethed in silence at the unfairness of it all.  Was the universe _trying_ to make her insane?

 

~o0o~~o0o~

 

King Vejita frowned as he looked over the medical documents Nappa had obtained.  He hated admitting he didn't understand what half of the jargon meant.  There was a knock at his door, and his face smoothed for a moment before going back to his perma-frown.  "Come," he commanded.

Dr. Malva nervously entered the king's private apartments, not certain why he had been summoned, "Your Majesty," he said upon entering, bowing before he closed the door.

The king hardly noticed, as he glanced back at the paper in his hand, "I need you to translate this into something I can understand," he said, setting the paper down and pointing at the pile.

Dr. Malva visibly relaxed at the king's instructions.  He had feared the worst, "Yes, your Majesty," he said coming forward.  His eyes widened a bit at the pile, "May I have a seat, your Majesty?" he asked.

King Vejita waved him off, "Go ahead," he said, turning to his bedroom, "I am going to get some rest."

Dr. Malva didn't comment as he took a seat at the table and started going over the birth charts in front of him.

 

~o0o~

 

Gohan sighed as he pressed fingertips to the tank's observation window.  Radditz' hair floated in the thick liquid, taking on a life of its own, as the commander slept in suspension.  Senzu formula could have easily taken care of the injuries, but the batches were small, and the new batches had a thirty percent failure rate.  Gohan had advised them all they should be used for the upcoming battle, and let the tanks care of things that weren't emergencies.

He was going to end up spending the night outside the tank, rather than in the commander's bed.  He growled, "You fucking idiot," he spoke to deaf ears.  Radditz had been shadow boxing at 35 g's, and done this to himself.  He was lucky Bardock had been in the warehouse and felt him falter; otherwise he would have been a sayian pancake.

Gohan had some interesting scorch marks from when he'd felt Radditz fail while taking both Kakarott and Vegeta on in their ascended forms.  He'd barely dodged the simultaneous ki blasts that had come at him when he realized he'd let himself get distracted at a critical moment, getting hit by the ki shock as the two attacks collided above him....

...He was a fucking bundle of nerves, and it kept getting worse as the days wore on.  Not knowing when he would be wished back, or even if he would...he'd made the decision to train Kakarott and Vegeta instead of Radditz.  If he over exerted himself with them, then at least they had a chance of surviving rather than becoming corpses.

Today had been the target date, and he was still here.  Gohan was trying not to become excited.  It was terrible, he knew, but he may just be staying, and he wasn't disappointed by the prospect.  Yes, he had mixed emotions mostly to do with ambiguous doubts about things he had no control over.  He'd made new calculations without opening his journal, just to be sure...and came up with the same answers.   Something on Earth in his time line had happened to slow them down...or he wasn't leaving.  So he waited with this millstone of uncertainty around his neck. 

A blanket was suddenly surrounding his shoulders, and he started, not having sensed Bardock's ki moving closer, "Get some rest, Gohan," the elder suggested.

Gohan smiled briefly, turning his back to the tank before sliding down it to sit on the floor, "I'll try."

Bardock nodded before leaving the warehouse.

 

~o0o~

 

"I don't understand it, your Majesty," Dr. Malva stated the next morning, looking a little harried from having stayed up all night looking at Kakarott's birth charts, "I've never heard of a baby being offered a second ki testing."  The doctor had to shift through a lot of the paper work, which were mostly documents of the mother's cause of death.

King Vejita frowned.  He was glad the doctor was distracted by the offer; it left him to speculate privately why a parent would turn down such an opportunity. 

"I wonder if Kakarott knew of this when he issued Idomu," Dr. Malva reflected out loud.

The king's head came up at that, "Maybe he did," he said.  "Well, that would explain it.  I guess I had nothing to worry over," the king stated as he stood, "Thank you so much for your help doctor," he said, placing a hand on Dr. Malva's shoulder, turning him towards the door, "You've been up all night.  Why don't you get some food and some rest," the king suggested as he opened the door.

"Thank you, your Majesty," Dr. Malva replied, stifling a yawn.

King Vejita nodded as he tried not to shut the door in the helpful doctor's face.  Once the door was closed, he stalked back to the table, staring down at the documents, before he began pacing.

The concubine's birth date had startled him...he couldn't forget that date if he tried.  Add the complication of a second declined testing...Kakarott' s house had never been in contention for the throne...the concubine annulling his contract and issuing Idomu...his son _not_ killing the slave to save face...the concubine's father being an acclaimed genius...and now his son 'training' with this new invention...outside of his immediate jurisdiction...

What if...what if the concubine's house did have designs on the throne, but no previous claim?  Getting his immature son to believe he had _feelings_ for this concubine would be easy.  Certainly, if Vegeta shown signs of becoming infatuated with him, he and the council would have put a stop to the non-sense. 

The king stopped pacing...his son _had_ been showing signs of infatuation though.  King Vejita growled; but he had been ignoring them, because the concubine had been 'third class'.

The spectacle in the council room had been distracting.  Slaves weren't freed....the king's eyes narrowed.  Clever....very clever....

...The question was, who had orchestrated it?

The king strode to his armor holder, picking his scouter up off the mannequin's head and placing it on his own.  He tapped the gadget on, "Vegeta!  Report!"  He stood with his arms folded, waiting for a response, and not receiving one.  "You will report as soon as you get this message.  If I do not hear from you within the day, I will assume you are being held hostage, and send a force out there!"

The king growled as he took the almost useless device off of his head, and crammed it back onto the mannequin's.

 

~o0o~

 

Prince Vegeta rolled his shoulders, groaning as he and Kakarott entered their room, "What I wouldn't give for a good soak," he sighed, and then purred as Kakarott's hands gripped his shoulders and started massaging.

"Hmmmm," Kakarott mused while digging his thumbs in near Vegeta's spine, "Maybe we can take a quick break tomorrow.  I know of some hot springs near here..."

"That sounds wonderful," Vegeta said as he let his head hang down.  A slight blip interrupted his musing.  He frowned, ignoring it, until he heard it again.  He sighed, "Someone has left a message," he said, patting one of Kakarott's hands before stepping over to his scouter.  He clicked the message listening sequence, wincing when he heard his father's voice bark over the unit.

Kakarott went to the shower room, turning the water on so it would be hot by the time Vegeta was done receiving the message, "CRAP!" he heard Vegeta shout, and came back out hurriedly.

"What?" he asked.

Vegeta growled as he tapped the communication button, "Prince Vegeta reporting!" the prince held up a hand as Kakarott was about to speak again.  He began pacing as he waited for a response.  "Father," he started, "Everything is fine...." He waited as his father spoke, "No, everything is on schedule...I am finding the machine very useful, more so than hoped..." he turned his head slightly as Kakarott moved.  Vegeta's posture suddenly became very stiff, "Father, I am more than able to make that decision on my own..." wincing as something came over louder than acceptable, "Excuse me?" the prince's eyes widened and he turned his head away from Kakarott as his ki began to sky rocket, "Yes, he is..."

"Vegeta, calm down," Kakarott whispered, placing a hand on the prince's shoulder.

Vegeta stilled, trying to gain control over his ki at the same time he tried to pay attention to what his father was blabbering on about, "Kakarott is more than a suitable mate...you wouldn't have a clue old man...he _is_ my equal..." the prince growled, "...You threaten my mate like that again, and I will come back to the capital, just so I can rip your head off..." the threat was spoken quietly, "You are being ridiculous, Father.  Kakarott's family has no designs...even if it is unfortunate it happens often enough for you to know that it cannot be faked.  This is real, get used to it....it is _not_ a genetic defect!" Vegeta snarled, "...Go ahead, bring the army out here...this conversation is over, I will come back when I am damned well ready," the prince said, taking his scouter off, throwing it to the floor and crushing it beneath his boot heel.

Kakarott's eyes grew wide, "What did you mean 'Go ahead, bring the army'?"

Vegeta snarled as he began pacing again: his tail tip swinging agitatedly as most of its length stayed stiff behind the prince.  "He's fucking delusional," Vegeta finally spat out.

~ _Vegeta, please_ ~..."I can't understand if you don't tell me what he said," Kakarott pleaded from where he sat on the bed to stay out of Vegeta's way.

"He thinks this...your challenge...was a way to get your family into power.  He saw the mating marks when I turned to look at you," Vegeta laughed, "He's a moron."

"He thinks I did this to gain power?" Kakarott asked, "I did this to gain you..."

Vegeta stilled as he nodded his head, "Kakarott, I _know_ that.  Father is irrational enough to believe you've managed to ceros me into this, even though he knows bonding is real.  He threatened to have you killed, and his scientists come up with a hormone supplement.  If he thinks I will stand idly by while he tries to have you killed..."

Kakarott growled, "I can take care of myself..."

Vegeta smirked, "Yes, but that isn't the point...."

"If your father comes out here looking for my head, it will be the point, and I will make sure it is one your father, or his army, won't forget," Kakarott threatened.

Vegeta's smirk grew wider, "Oooo, feisty...how long has the water been running?" he said, seeming to change the subject.

Kakarott shrugged, before he yelped as he was yanked from the mattress and towards the shower.

It was at least an hour before Vegeta and Kakarott told the news to rest of the sayians at Bardock's holding.  Gohan sighed, even here it seemed Vegeta had the capacity to be impulsive, and shook his head before he closed his eyes, sending his awareness back to the capital.  He growled, "How long does it take the army to get mobile?" he finally asked.  There was a lot of activity happening at the capital, more so than usual.

"If father has decided to come out here with the full army?  At least two days for an early regiment, three for the full army..." the prince's eyes widened as everyone else's shoulders slumped, "He's going to be here...."

"About the same time frame Brolli arrives," Bardock concluded.

"Crap," Vegeta said before taking a seat on the floor, "Radditz, may I have your scouter?" he finally said.

Radditz looked down at him, "Why?"

"We can't fight both fronts.  If I can stall my father by going back..."

Gohan stood straighter; "If you go back and he finds a way to restrain you..." he held up a hand to stall Vegeta from interrupting him, "He can do so with drugs.  It is possible.  Anyway, that would leave Kakarott alone to fend off Brolli..."

"You haven't left yet, isn't it possible that you won't be?" Kakarott interrupted.

"We can't bet on that," Gohan sighed, "Yes, Kakarott is strong, but he is not strong enough to fend off Brolli on his own.  It's why I've been training you two to fight as a team," Gohan stated.

Vegeta and Kakarott nodded.  They had both concluded the same thing without having been told, "So I have to stay," Vegeta stated with a sigh.

"Hopefully, once your father is out here, you can talk to him then, but you can't go back to the capital, with the possibility that he may stall your return," Gohan stated.

Bardock looked over at Selypa and Toma, "This isn't your fight.  If you want to leave...."

Toma growled, "I am not a coward."

Bardock shook his head, "But you are not a traitor either...."

Toma shrugged his shoulders, "I won't be leaving; this is my family."

"And neither will I," Selypa spoke up.

Bardock shook his head, looking around at the small group, "Six, maybe seven, sayians against the army and a world threat?" he chuckled, "We're all insane."

There were several smiles from the group, "Never pretended not to be," Toma stated bluntly.

~o0o~~o0o~

  
  


 


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N:** THANKS FOR STICKING WITH ME HOSHI!  And especially thank you for betaing this chapter, and telling me it WASN'T working, and making me feel the need to fix it (because, really, it wasn't working for me either...I was just being lazy and didn't want to have to write this  *sighs*).  Everyone THANK HOSHI!  You don't want to know what I was going to make you read before....

**Another note....probably best to make sure you don't have to run off anywhere, or your not going to get interrupted.**

 

##  _Idomu_

### By [Macha ](mailto:bynp@comcast.net)

### Chapter 11

 

~o0o~

The small contingent of sayians at Bardock's holdings spent the next two days readying the facilities as best as they could for a full blown war.  Bardock smirked as he presented Prince Vegeta and Gohan with a device neither of them had seen before; an energy barrier device that could cover acres of land in a slightly glowing visible dome shape that reminded Gohan of capsule houses.  "I've been working on making it invisible and mobile between other projects, but these will have to do for now," Bardock said.

"Where do they get the energy?" Gohan asked as he studied a model that hadn't been buried years before around Bardock's home.

"They collect solar energy, and the cells are buried underground beneath them.  They've been charging for at least ten years," Bardock smirked, "And can probably run for a full month."

"What's the draw back?" Vegeta asked.  He wasn't comfortable sitting behind these barriers as some sort of coward, but other than that, it seemed almost fool proof.

"We may be able to stay here safe, and that is fine to face the army..." Bardock frowned.

"But not fine for facing Brolli," Gohan concluded, nodding.

Vegeta started as he thought of something, "How do we know Brolli will come here?  Vegeta-sei is a very large planet.  He could start anywhere..."

Gohan shook his head, "He hates your mate more than you know.  It's almost an obsession.  All we have to do is have Kakarott flare his ki.  It will draw Brolli here like a beacon."  Both the prince and Bardock were giving him the look he had come to understand meant he had just said something that didn't make any sense.  He sighed, "Another one of those 'things' you are going to have to trust me on."

The three of them looked up as Kakarott, Radditz, Selypa and Toma came in through the warehouse doors, "I think we are done," Radditz said, taking a seat at one of the workbenches.

Gohan sighed; Radditz looked thoroughly worn down.  "We need to take a break.  Get some sleep, eat and relax as best we can," he stated quietly to the group.  He wasn't used to the luxury of having a moment before the fighting started, but he was willing to make use of it.

Everyone's shoulders slumped gratefully at the news.  Vegeta turned to Kakarott, "I seem to recall you mentioning something about hot springs days ago...."

Everyone perked up at his words, and Kakarott smirked, "I'd be more than happy to show you where they are."

Selypa was already heading out the door, "No thanks!  Know the way myself."

Bardock chuckled and shoved Toma after her, "Let's go before she gets the good spot."

Kakarott shook his head at his father's antics, "Don't worry, there is no such thing as  'the' good spot up there," he said to Vegeta before the two of them were heading out also.  "They are all amazing.  Are you two coming?" Kakarott threw over his shoulder at his brother.

Radditz looked over at Gohan, "Well, you up for it?"

Gohan smiled tiredly, "Yeah, as long as you keep me from falling asleep and drowning myself."

Radditz wrapped his tail with Gohan's, bringing him closer and grabbing his hips, "I'd never let you do that," he chuckled before laying a quick kiss against Gohan's lips before drawing back and leading the way out of the warehouse.

 

~o0o~~o0o~

 

"Well, that's four of them," Videl looked down at the slowly growing pile as Trunks added the dragon ball he had found, "Thank you, Trunks."  He nodded, wiping the hair away from his forehead before searching for Goten.

Videl sighed, hugging her jacket tighter as she looked beyond the water dripping from her umbrella to the hazy horizon.  Waiting for people to come back with the dragon balls was wearing on her nerves.  She had expected Vegeta and Goku to be the first and second to return.

Maybe she should have gone out again, rather than having sent Pan out for a second one.  This waiting around for other people to make things happen...she had hoped this was only going to take one day, not cross over into two.

She sighed as she turned towards the Capsule Corp. building; another hesitation, and then she slowly gathered the dragon balls before walking to the door.

 

~o0o~

 

"How the hell did you get stuck in there in the first place?" Vegeta asked as he placed his dragon ball and radar down and examined Kakarott's dilemma.  The younger sayian was wedged face down up to his hips in some sort of animal den. 

Even his sayian hearing was put to the test to hear Kakarott's muffled reply, "I couldn't reach the dragon ball, so kept moving forward.  Now my arms are pinned to my sides..."

"So you can't IT.  Why don't you just blast yourself out?" Vegeta asked in exasperation.

"There are baby coyotes in here," Vegeta heard Kakarott giggle and rolled his eyes, "They are licking my face."

"Can't you make the hole bigger?" Vegeta asked.

"I don't want to cause a cave in," Goku explained.

"Oh, for fuck's sake!" Vegeta sighed quietly.  "I am going to grab your legs and pull..."

"Please don't do it too fast!  You'll cause a cave in!" Goku pleaded the baby coyotes' case with the older sayian.

"Damned animals shouldn't be building their homes in such precarious places," Vegeta mumbled quietly to himself as grabbed hold of Kakarott's ankles and pulled back.

"Ow..."

"What now?" Vegeta growled as he stopped pulling.

"Sorry, my arms don't want to bend that way," Goku said quietly.

Vegeta blew out a breath and pulled more gently.  He stopped again, waiting for Kakarott to give him the okay...this was going to take forever, "Do you at least have the dragon ball?"

"No..." came Goku's hesitant reply.

"Fucking great," Vegeta growled as he pulled back again.  That meant _he_ was going to have to be the one to go and get it once he pulled the other sayian out.

"Ow...."

 

~o0o~~o0o~

 

Gohan relaxed against the side of the onsen with his eyes closed and his head pillowed comfortably atop Radditz arm.  Their tails twined slowly together under the water's surface.  Radditz gave his shoulder a squeeze, "No sleeping," the commander whispered in his ear.

Gohan smiled without opening his eyes, "No sleeping," he repeated quietly.  He muffled a giggle as Radditz nuzzled into his neck.

Bardock splashed water in their direction from where he sat between Selypa and Toma, "None of that in here," he mock growled.

Gohan felt Raddtiz' tail tighten around his briefly which caused him to open his eyes.  He laughed at Radditz sticking his tongue out at his father. 

Gohan's laugh drew Radditz' attention back to the one he was holding.  He didn't understand why he found the sound so fascinating.  The answer suddenly struck him; he had never heard Gohan actually _laugh_.  Giggle?  Yes.  Chuckle even, but never all out laugh.  He liked it.

Gohan settled down when he noticed Radditz' intense attention on him.  He cleared his throat self-consciously, "What?" he asked quietly.

Radditz blushed, not wanting to state his observation in front of others.  For some reason, he felt this to be a private matter, so he shook his head, "I'll tell you later," he said softly, settling back against the edge of the hot spring.

Gohan sighed, closing his eyes, determining _not_ to let Radditz' odd moment keep him from relaxing.  It may be a few days before he got to relax like this again.

Some time later, Kakarott and Vegeta stepped out of the pool of hot water, "We'll start dinner," Kakarott said as they started getting dressed.

Bardock scrunched up his face, "You two in the kitchen?  I'd better go with..." Bardock sighed, hefting himself out of the pool.

Selypa snickered, "Like that's going to be much better," she said, following Bardock out.  Toma followed her without any bantering comments aimed at the bonded pair.

Gohan shifted.  He smiled as he brought his hands up from the water, observing his wrinkled fingers, "I think I should get out also..."

Radditz nodded, but kept him from following everyone's example right away.  Gohan relaxed into his hold, understanding the commander wanted a moment alone with him: hopefully to explain what had happened earlier.

Radditz finally let up when the others had left.  He stepped out of the hot spring and offered a hand to aid Gohan.  Gohan took it, even though he didn't need the assistance; it was a nice gesture.

He gasped as Radditz pulled him into a strong hug with the taller sayian's chin resting on his head.  "What is it about you kid?" Radditz questioned quietly before bringing his hands up to Gohan's shoulders and stepping back.

"About me?" Gohan asked.  He wasn't certain what Radditz was referring to.

Radditz squeezed Gohan's shoulders, "I thought I'd be a bachelor all my life, and I was okay with that.  I've never fallen for someone..."

Gohan blushed; he really didn't know how to respond.  He knew he had strong feelings regarding this sayian...he was saved from having to respond right away.

"I gave you that look, because I had realized I had never heard you laugh," Radditz said, letting go of Gohan's shoulders, stretching to the ground to pick up his pants.

The observation took Gohan by surprise.  He tried to think back, and came to the same conclusion.  There had been so much going on, so much preparation needed to happen before the Brolli confrontation, then the additional threat of the king's army, and not knowing how much time he had to train Kakarott and Vegeta...he hadn't had the time to just _relax_.  Gohan realized somewhere within the last couple of days he had determined he wasn't being wished back.  He reached a hand to stop the commander from getting dressed, "Dinner won't be done for at least a couple of hours, right?" he smiled shyly at Radditz' nod, "Do you really want to go back right away?" Gohan asked, stepping closer.

Radditz' curious gaze turned to one of knowing.  The commander tried to suppress the sudden jolt of desire that struck his gut at Gohan's words, but couldn't keep the purr from creeping into his response; it wasn't often the kid was the one being forward, "No," he said, closing the remaining gap between them.  Radditz closed his eyes as their lips met, humming in satisfaction as Gohan yielded immediately before flicking his tongue between slightly parted lips.

Gohan moaned as he felt Radditz' strong hands clutching at him.  He shivered when one snaked its way down his side to squeeze his backside, kneading just shy of bruising before a second joined on the opposite side.  Strong arms were flexed, and he was lifted from the ground, stomach and chest pressed against the other's torso.  He wrapped his legs around Radditz' hips, shivering and twining his tail around one of the other's biceps as he threaded his hands in the commander's amazing amount of hair.   

Radditz' broke from the kiss long enough to find some place to sit with his prize.  He turned his attention back and smirked as he found exactly what he was looking for, carrying Gohan until he settled back on the somewhat flat bolder.  He gasped pleasurably as Gohan rolled his hips while sitting in his lap, the needy move unexpected and entrancing.

Gohan's hands worked their way through the tangle of Radditz' hair until he gently embraced the back of the other's head between them.  He pressed eagerly against the commander's body, taking control of the kiss, rocking his hips, his abs coming away from contact with the other's as the back of his thighs pressed into Radditz', pulling away as he rolled his hips up, torsos fitting together once again.

Radditz growled into the kiss, Gohan's eager, suggestive moves inciting him with a need to control.  He traced the palms of his hands along Gohan's arms until he had a wrist under each, and pulled the young man's hands from their hold, before twisting them behind the impatient sayian's back and looping his tail around his captive's wrists.

Gohan groaned at Radditz display of verve and then gasped as Radditz' hands began roaming everywhere over his body, nails gently scratching at times.  He moaned at a pinch here, shuddered at a clutching there.  He keened quietly, rolling his hips to express his need once again, "Please," he breathed against the side of Radditz' neck.   

Radditz growled as he cradled Gohan's hips between his hands; the kid begged like he was going to refuse him.  He didn't understand where this beautiful sayian's insecurity stemmed from, but there was no way he could deny Gohan anything.  He lifted Gohan up, shifted one hand between them making a slight adjustment, before bringing him down.  Radditz' astonished hiss was covered by Gohan's call.  He stared in amazement as Gohan leaned back in the circle his arms provided, and then started moving again.  The rise and fall of the other became the commander's awareness.  Up, a gasp that parted his partner's lips: down, a moan that held him spell bound.  Away, a possessive need to have the other around him: here, a reason to make him stay. 

Radditz gripped Gohan's hips, bringing him down again after the next rise, holding him still, growling as the younger moaned in frustration, "Radditz!"  The commander ran finger tips across those moving lips, down the pulsing throat, over his heaving chest, across trembling abs, grasping with one hand while supporting behind with the other.  His eyes narrowed as he felt and saw Gohan jerk; not surprise or rejection, just reaction to his touch.  He rolled his hips up as he brought his hand down.

Gohan leaned forward, feeling the continuous growl coming from the chest beneath his ear.  He whined, lifting his face as he gasped, purring as he ran his nose under Radditz' jaw.  His lips were caught as the commander turned his face down to him: violent, needy.  He purred despite the force cutting his lips against his own teeth.

Radditz' growl grew as he tasted blood.  A new, inexplicable pressure built in the roof of his mouth at the taste of Gohan and the feel of the other's tongue against his.  Harsh breathing as he continued to move himself inside the other after this shocking, but welcome discovery.  A pacifying, keening noise had him responding with a possessive rumble. 

 _A reason to make him stay_. The thought teased Radditz' mind enticingly.

Gohan mewled as Radditz' lips drew away from his, the commander's hands leaving from their pleasurable occupation to clutch at his shoulder blades.  One of those hands snaked into his short hair, pulling his head to the side.  He trembled, uncertain, as Radditz nuzzled into his neck: sniffing, licking.  This behavior from the other sayian felt different...something was off, he concluded as the commander nudged the thong to his makeshift necklace aside.  His shock came so sudden he couldn't react straight away.

Radditz felt the other's pulse beneath his tongue, and struck, his growl deafening him to Gohan's dismayed gasp.  ~ _Radditz_ ~ "Radditz, no..."  ~ _no_ ~  the commander growled demandingly.  The other would not deny him.

Gohan tried to blink back the tears that had sprung to his eyes and snapped his teeth together when he felt the overwhelming need to respond in like to Radditz' action.  "Radditz, please," Gohan begged from between clenched teeth, while he tried to pull his neck away.  He could feel skin and muscle tearing, ~ _He doesn't understand_ ~  "Don't..." he tried to untangle his wrists from Radditz' tail, but didn't want to hurt the other physically.

The kid was right, he didn't understand, he could feel the desire the other harbored seething beneath the heavy shadow of disgrace that had sprung seemingly from no where.  Radditz growled and strengthened his bite: the kid had nothing to be ashamed of...unless he was ashamed of him....

"No" ~ _Oh, Kami, I should have said something sooner.  I should have never let it go this far._ ~  "I'm your" ~ _He's my_ ~ Even Radditz could not deny the dishonor he felt through their connection.  "Nephew" ~ _Uncle_ ~

Radditz gasped and drew away from Gohan's neck.  Even if he would have liked to of denied the other's verbal statement, he couldn't deny the mentally conveyed information.  His shock wore into anger quickly as he gazed down at Gohan's tear streaked face.  "Impossible," ~ _Kakarott has no children_.~  It  should have been biologically impossible for the bonding to take place if they were related, "You're mistaken," he growled as he shook the other by the back of his head.  ~ _Tell me you are lying!_ ~ Radditz demanded, eyes boring into the other's.  Why had he let himself fall so far....

Gohan flinched as the second, unexpected telepathic thought stirred through him, and then shook his head regretfully as he gazed up at Radditz' livid face, "No" and then the truth and secrets he'd been hiding surface unhindered: the bond continuing to form despite the interruption.

Radditz' eyes widened at the mental information that came so quickly...~ _His brother contracted to a foreigner, whelping half-breeds with the beautiful alien on a strange planet.  His prince doing the same, with a blue haired nymph.  The existence of his home planet only thought of as history.  Dragons, wishes and epic battles.  His mate contracted to an attractive, female alien._ ~...overwhelming.  First and foremost, they _were_ kin.  There was so much more information that came in that chaotic burst of knowledge and emotion...that Radditz had problems sorting it into a coherent string.

Gohan's dismay and mortification grew as he gained similar information: chiefly, how much Radditz had desired him...until now.  He watched Radditz' features run a gambit of emotions, from disbelief, anger, incredulousness, and finally cruelty.  He knew then he would not find forgiveness for his transgressions, "I am sorry..." he could feel the blood oozing from the junction between his shoulder and neck, drawn down by gravity, even as the spark that had been between them for weeks faded to ashes.  His mouth burned in agony from having fought his instincts.  He didn't know what had become of the old him while he was here: none of this would have happened if he'd not found this sayian part of himself so _enticing_ : willing to let himself explore this part of himself while he was away from friends and family.  To late now, he was trying to struggle against his instincts: as he should have been doing the whole time.  This thought only added more to his guilt.

Radditz untangled his tail from holding the wrists in place as he pulled the kid from his lap, and seriously thought about throwing him to the ground...he growled in disgust at himself.  He still had _feelings_ for this... "You manipulative, worthless, whore.  Get away from me," Radditz spoke harshly, trying his best to wipe what blood he could from his mouth.  He wouldn't have let this happen if his...Gohan had been forthright with him.

Gohan moved swiftly to do as he was told; his heart aching and his neck stinging.  "I am sorry," he whispered again.  ~ _I am so, so sorry, Radditz._ ~

Radditz stood and glared down at the other.  "Am I supposed to believe you now?  You were _never_ planning on letting us...me know the truth!  Your apologies are empty...hollow.  I should be grateful you didn't let me complete the bond, but I only feel revulsion," he spat down at the other.  Insanity!  To think he could have bonded...and he felt even more revulsion when he realized his body was **_still_** craving the other: demanding he finish what he had started.

Gohan didn't move or speak as Radditz began dressing.  His face burned with shame, and he turned his gaze to the less disappointing horizon.  "When this is over, and Vegeta-sei is safe, I expect never to see you again," Radditz said over his shoulder, "As a matter of fact, I suggest you go back to that worthless home planet of yours," he growled out before he departed.

Gohan shuddered as he felt the commander's angry aura fade from his present location, but he could still _feel_ Radditz' seething emotions.  He dressed listlessly, only doing so because he knew tomorrow, things would be expected of him. 

Of all the things he had read about the bonding process, he had never seen information as to how long it took the bond to fade, if it wasn't completed.

Hope was a terrible emotion.

 

~o0o~

 

The other sayians understood something had transpired when Radditz came back angry and alone.  None of them understood the severity until Kakarott went to check on Gohan, who for unexplained reasons had not joined them for dinner, but everyone could be feel his ki in the warehouse.

Kakarott stared at Gohan through the plexiglass.  Somehow, the kid had gotten himself into the tank.  The other's sad, sleeping countenance spoke volumes; the obvious aborted bonding mark screamed louder.  He couldn't pull himself away, until Vegeta came down and forcibly removed him.  "Why?" Kakarott asked, touching his mate's marks, unable to comprehend why, or even how, something like this would happen.

Vegeta shook his head, keeping silent.  He knew Radditz well enough to know there was at least one reason.

Kakarott growled as they walked into the house.  Vegeta may be willing to let his commander deal with this in his own way, but Radditz was his brother: he knew how his brother overacted.  If Radditz had seen something he didn't like when the bond first started....

"What are you doing?" Vegeta asked, as Kakarott's hand reached for the doorknob to Radditz' room as they passed on their way to their own.

"I...I have to talk to him," Kakarott stated.

"Leave it..." Vegeta began, reaching to turn his mate away from his brother's door.

"No," Kakarott said quietly, "I can't."

Vegeta snorted, but could feel the determination his mate was feeling, "I'll see you in a while," he said before he walked away.

Kakarott sighed as he twisted the knob, "Go away, Kakarott," he heard his brother growl at him as he entered the darkened bedroom.

Kakarott shut the door behind him, "No.  You will listen to me," he said as he moved further into the room with the aid of fingers trailing along the wall.

Radditz growled and shifted on his mattress, but knew he had to let Kakarott get what ever he felt the need to say out before he would leave him alone to his misery, "Spit it out, we all need our rest for tomorrow."

"Radditz," Kakarott spoke into the darkness, "I don't know what happened..." he was interrupted but a loud growl, and then continued, "But I know you.  You don't get sad, like the sayian I just saw in the tank," Gohan's face was still a clear memory in his mind, "You get angry."

Radditz snorted: he'd heard this statement often enough from his father, but as a warrior he couldn't let something like sadness interfere while in battle.  His way of coping with it was to turn it into some useful emotion: usually anger.

"Neither of you were ready for this to happen," Kakarott continued, "You didn't know each other well enough yet.  Some of those emotions you were feeling, at the time of the bond, were his," Kakarott stated.  Any type of strong emotion, other than anger, usually made his brother skittish.  It was the reason their father had become concerned Radditz would never find someone: and then the kid had shown up in their lives.

"So?  Who made you the authority on this?" Radditz didn't care what point his brother was trying to make: sounding like a specialist on bonding.  With only a varying two to five percent of the population having the gene that made bonding possible, no one was an expert on such a thing.  Kakarott had no idea what he was talking about any way: their situations were totally different, after all, "Kakarott...just go to bed."

"Radditz..."

"Kakarott!  I am sick of talking about it.  I am sick of _thinking_ about it!  Go away!"

Kakarott's tail whipped once before he left.

 

~o0o~

 

Waiting for the army the next day was a trial for all of them.  The situation itself would have been tense; the additional antagonism between Radditz and Gohan made all of them twitchy.  At one point, Bardock pulled his eldest to the side to try and speak some sense into him, but was snubbed with a rude, "It's not your business."

The sun was moving into the 10th hour before the dust from the army's vehicles could be seen.  Vegeta's eyes narrowed.  The plan was for him to try and talk to his father before Kakarott finished his challenge.  Everyone who could read ki was finally able to feel Brolli's power looming into their awareness.  What ever happened, both situations would be compounding each other.

Kakarott kept his ki high as he had been instructed, although not ascending, hoping to bait Brolli while not posing a threat to the sayian army.

Gohan hung listlessly around the perimeters of the happenings, only giving advice and input when asked.

Radditz growled as he stormed over to where Kakarott and Vegeta were trying to confer with Gohan about something, his father having sent him on a useless task, which he knew was only an excuse to make him speak with Gohan.  Kakarott and Vegeta quickly cleared the area as they saw Radditz coming closer.

Gohan turned to see what had made them practically flee from the conversation.  His eyes widened, and his heart pounded ridiculously at the sight of the commander coming towards him. 

Radditz snorted at the kid's submissively bowed head.  The kid's reaction was absurd, but preferable.  If Gohan had been as angry as he had felt, with as much power as the kid was able to control?  Frightening.  "Look, we are going to have to work together for the next couple of hours," he sneered as Gohan nodded his head meekly, "And as much as I should, I-I don't hate you..." He hated admitting it to himself, but his brother had been right: he didn't get sad he got angry.  More than half the disgust he had initially felt had faded overnight, the separation from Gohan giving him time to think, and feel, and discover which parts of what had happened were actually his reactions, and not the overflow of emotion from the bond.  Radditz had admitted to himself, while he lay in the dark after his brother had left, that he wouldn't let himself feel something like guilt, but would have translated it into something else similar: like regret...no, disgust.

The commander noted how the mating mark had scarred instead of healed.  When Kakarott had told him he had found Gohan in the tank the night before, Radditz had expected not to see any evidence of his impulsive error left.  Maybe his brother had been correct on that account as well...it had been too soon.  Or, Radditz had thought it over, or maybe they should have discussed what was happening between them.  Radditz knew if he had actually given Gohan the chance to talk about it...but the commander again had to admit something he didn't want to think about: he had been afraid of losing the other, if he had given Gohan the choice.

So he had acted out when his instincts had made themselves clear, knowing he would be forgiven later, after the bond had formed: a huge miscalculation on his part.

Gohan looked up slowly as he tried to understand why the other sayian would even bother talking to him, "I am sorry," they were the words that had continuously been running through his head.  He couldn't begin to express the hundreds of apologies he wanted to: ~ _for mistakes, for being weak, for lying_....~

Radditz' tail loosened from around his waist the tiniest bit; he truly wanted to be able to accept the repeated apology... "I can't," he whispered.  ~ _Not yet,_ ~ he finished, shaking his head.  He was still fuming mad, there was no way of getting around that: Gohan had indeed been untruthful with him, but...he shook his head and growled, not able to fully sort out his own thoughts, let alone express what he was feeling, while in the presence of the other.  The partial bond still made it difficult to separate things when they were this close to each other.

Gohan nodded, looking down.  He thought his mind was playing games with him as the dry, barren dirt beneath his feet faded into wet, damp, _green_ grass.  Rain on the back of his neck had him quickly looking up at his surroundings.

"Welcome home."

"Oh gods...no" ~ _no_ ~ the darkness cleared as the dragon balls dispersed.  The hurt he had felt from Radditz' rejection was revealed as trivial compared to the anguish of being torn through time and space from him.  Familiar, smiling faces altered to those of confusion or unease at his quiet, initial outburst: barely registered as he fell clutching Radditz' mark. 

Agony.  He...he couldn't...think... .

Goku could only attribute it to Vegeta's ever-pessimistic outlook that the prince reacted first.  If Vegeta had not thrown up the ki shield, the shockwave from Gohan's first scream would have killed the humans: at the least.  As it was, outbuildings and landscape were rendered apart, as much as he could see, before he IT'd to get to his son, and then IT'd to get him out of there.  Forget caution...things weren't happening as they should...hopefully Piccolo's head wouldn't be destroyed... Goku learned first hand how un-instantaneous IT was; and that he _could_ ascend in that blink of an eye.  

Dry, arid, barren: this was as good a place to meditate, as it was to lose one's sanity.  Another scream; another shockwave, "GOHAN!" the back of his hands were flayed as he was able create a ki shield for the rest of his body, but couldn't wrap his hands protectively if he didn't want to let go of his son.  A reprieve as his son took another breath, "GOHAN!" a semblance of recognition flashed in those eyes, "Gohan.  Come on..."

"Kakarott?" it had been a bad dream...

Goku's body was drug down by both shock of his son using _that_ name and the weight of his son's body as the other's legs gave out. "Wha..." puzzlement.

"You have to tell your brother I am sorry..." desperation; if there were anyway to fix this mess...

"Brother?" confusion.  Why would Gohan want to tell his brother anything?

"Tell Radditz I didn't mean to deceive him, _please_!  He'll listen to you..." Misery.  Even if Radditz never reciprocated, he needed this closure...

Goku couldn't make that promise, "Son, I don't think I can..." He hadn't seen evidence Radditz was in hell, nor could he imagine he would have been granted life in other world.  He didn't understand the gasp...

"Oh, I see, he's told you already..." distraction.  So much for a last ditch effort: wait.  Kakarott certainly wasn't acting as fickle as Radditz had to this whole thing...but, then, he was now bonded to another....

"Gohan, Radditz is dead," what the heck wasn't he getting here?  Vacant, soulless eyes turned up to him.

"No," Gohan shook his head childishly, "Please, don't lie to me."

His son's obvious turmoil made him ache for him as shaky, sweaty fingers came up to touch his lips closed.  Still, the reality was... "Son, you know he's dead.  He's been dead for years..." Goku gasped as the fronts of his shirts were gripped powerfully.

Dead?  Where had he been when that had happened?  "Who killed him?"

The insane obsession in that hissed question made Goku _very_ uncomfortable.  He didn't have time to form an acceptable answer as Gohan turned away from him to growl at something a distance from them, "It did."

And then Goku could feel Piccolo's ki returning as the Namek regenerated; "Yes..." he barely caught hold of Gohan's wrist with a damaged hand, "Gohan!"

"Let me go," Gohan hissed back at Goku, trying to shake his father's hand loose.

"Sorry, can't do that son: you aren't thinking straight," Goku said as he jerked Gohan back.  He dodged the fist that came swinging at his head, and barely blocked the kick that came up from the ground.  He barely realized his error in time; phasing in between his attacking son and a defenseless Piccolo, "Gohan!"

"Get out of my way!" Goku kept himself between Gohan and his son's apparent target as Gohan circled them.  "Don't think I won't destroy you also," Gohan warned, "You told me you held him while Piccolo shot him...it would be fitting for the two of you to go down together this time."

"I don't know what this is about..."

"You are absolutely correct," Gohan spat, "You know nothing, Goku."

"Son?" Goku heard Piccolo from behind him, "What's going on?"

"Piccolo!" Goku threw over his shoulder, keeping tabs on his son, "I don't know.  What I do know, is Gohan's going to kill you, if we can't get you out of here."

"I can fight my own battles..." Piccolo unwarily objected to Goku's interference.

"That's right, let it fight me," Gohan grinned.

"I don't think you want to do that," Goku cautioned, "Something's not right with him.  All of this has been unprovoked.  WHOA!" he exclaimed while blocking another strike from his son, "He's not playing games..."

Piccolo growled agreement, using his protected position from behind Goku to stretch an arm out and pull one of Gohan's legs out from under him, "Did you see that?" Piccolo asked Goku quietly as he withdrew his arm.  The technique barely fazed Gohan, who was back on his feet in an instant.

"Clever little Namek, I'll remember that..."

"A tail," Goku whispered back, "Is that going to be our strategy?  What if he has it trained?"

"You got a better one?" Piccolo asked as he discarded his cape and turban.  This was going to depend on speed and distraction.

"No," Goku said as he deflected a ki shot.

 

~o0o~

 

"That stupid bastard," Vegeta cursed, picking up his speed again as he felt Kakarott ascend to the second level.  Goten and Trunks had already fallen behind in the rush to get to where Kakarott had disappeared.  Videl was so far back he didn't even consider her part of the game; he had ordered her to stay behind any way...

Still, Vegeta supposed Kakarott hadn't had much of a choice in the matter.  Letting Gohan stay within Capsule Corporation's perimeters wouldn't have been any better, "Couldn't you have gone somewhere closer?  Oh..." Piccolo's ki had fully revived and then flared, "Hang on Kakarott," Vegeta encouraged as he took a moment to glance down at the capsule Bulma had pressed into his hand before he and the boys had taken off, "I hope this shit is strong enough..."

 

~o0o~

 

"What the hell is wrong with him?!" Goten yelled over the wind.

"How should I know?" Trunks replied; he'd been wondering the same thing.  He grimaced as he felt the gap between them and his father increase, "Shit!"

Goten grit his teeth and pressed his limit.  They weren't going to make it in time to stop the fighting, but hopefully they'd get there in time to pass out senzu, because people were certainly going to need them.

 

~o0o~

 

Videl felt her ki wavering, "Not here!" Shit, there was nothing but ocean between her and her husband's radically different ki signature.  She should have paced herself, but...

"Oh crap!"  Videl's blue eyes widened as she realized she wasn't going to find an island in time.

 

~o0o~

 

Pan had hesitated to follow the rest of the group.  Her mother's insistence that she stay behind encouraging her to do so...her tendency to be disobedient causing this whole mess in the first place.

But that was her dad...she had made her decision when her grandmother was distractedly giving Bulma the riot act about getting a vehicle ready to follow...

She had almost caught up with her mom and was slowing so she wouldn't be detected; "Oh no!" she dove as she felt her mother's ki give out.

 

~o0o~

 

Videl used what little ki she had left to help control her fall.  She'd at least be able to swim if she didn't break any thing...dang, that water sure was coming fast though...when had she gotten so old?

"MOM!" Pan watched as her mother splashed down, breaking the surface moments after to follow her.  She gripped one slim wrist and pulled to the surface, using ki instead of swimming to make it back up.

Videl tried to see through the salt water as her wrist was grabbed.  Almost forgot herself as she wanted to sigh in relief at Pan's ki signature.  Air, breathe.  "What are you doing out here?  I thought I told you..."

"Grandma was going to follow any way.  I'd have been there one way or another," Pan reported as she treaded water.

Videl shook her head and pushed her bangs up out of her face, "Well...this is one time I am glad you didn't listen..."

"I _promise_ not to make a habit of it," Pan said, relieved her mother wasn't going to be angry for long, "What do we do now?"

Videl sighed, "You have enough strength to carry me?"

Pan sighed in exasperation, "Of course, Mom.  I _am_ a quarter sayian."

Videl hid a small smile, "Well, I think we should go back.  I don't have enough strength.  Besides, your grandpa should IT everyone back to Capsule Corp as soon as things are under control..."

Pan nodded, but looked in the direction they had been heading, "It doesn't feel promising..."

"Vegeta will make it..."

"I hope so.  Grab on," Pan turned her back to her mother, and lifted out of the water once her mom had a good hold.

"I hope Bulma has convinced grandma to stay..."

"Me too."

 

~o0o~

 

He knew what they were doing, but the opportunity presented was too great to resist.  He lunged at Piccolo, twisting his body at the same time so Goku wouldn't be able to get a hold of his one vulnerability.

He laughed as he sent a fist through Piccolo's chest.  He knew he should aim to destroy its head, but he couldn't help the desire to make it _suffer_.  He pulled his hand out in time to back hand his father with a closed fist, "Not fast enough, old man," he gloated prematurely, "Gah!" the one thing he hadn't anticipated, a third party, "How the fuck?!" he should have felt this one coming...

Vegeta bit the protective cover of the syringe needle off, spit the plastic out of his mouth, and then stabbed the metal into Gohan's butt cheek, "I ran."

Gohan snarled weakly at Vegeta, "Shouldn't have..." and then he dropped to the ground.

Piccolo groaned, "Fuck."

Goku lifted his head and shook dirt from his spikes, "Close."

"Too close," Vegeta snarled at him over his shoulder as he controlled Gohan's decent to the ground.  He waited to be sure the brat was out before letting go of his tail.

"I thought you said he was going to be ki-less," Goku said as he straightened up.

"He should have been," Vegeta said, pulling down Gohan's collar to get a better look at the back of his neck, "And tailless..." he stilled at the mark on the kid's shoulder, pulling the collar wide on the other side, and seeing no matching mark, "Fuck," he said distractedly, sighing as he let the body the rest of the way to the ground.  The sayian thumbed Gohan's lower lip and then forced Gohan's jaw down, groaning when he noticed extended lower canines...he'd never thought this would be problem...or a possibility.  He fingered the capsule tied to Gohan's neck, wondering where it had come from: the design wasn't quite the same as Bulma's.... 

"What?" Goku asked, coming closer.

"Did he say anything?  Or just start fighting?" Vegeta asked, running a hand through his hair.

One of Goku's eyebrows rose at Vegeta's gesture...very unlike him, "Um...he wanted me to tell Radditz something..."

"What?" Vegeta glanced up at the other sayian.

"I tried to explain that Radditz was dead..." Goku started.

"Here," Vegeta grunted, sitting back on the ground, running his gloved hands over his face.

"What?" Goku asked.

"Radditz is dead here," Vegeta's reply was muffled through the hands covering his face, but Goku was still able to hear the clarified response.

"Oh..."

"Someone care to fill me in?  Seeing's how it was my head he seemed to be after?" Piccolo interjected.

Vegeta shook his head, "We don't have any answers..." he lied smoothly; but really, all he had to go on for now was speculation.

"I think we should get him back to Capsule Corp.," Goku interrupted.

Vegeta sighed, "Wait 'til the boys get here.  Then we can all go back at once."

 

~o0o~

 

Cool, soothing, nothingness...faded into disorientating grogginess.  Lights wavered in his vision.  People he could hear but not see...fading...

"I think he's reviving," Goku whispered over the gurney.

 Vegeta looked down, grunted his agreement, and reached for another needle.

"Wait!" Goku said, reaching up to hinder Vegeta.

"What?" Vegeta mumbled around the cap.

"Don't you think we should give him a chance?" Goku said.  What ever Vegeta had been injecting into his son's system was pretty damned powerful.

"A chance to what?  Destroy the building?  Kill our families?" Vegeta argued.

"No...I mean, there has to be some reason he did what he did, and if we keep him drugged, we won't know what to do to help..." Goku tried to reason.

Vegeta growled: he had a fairly good idea what had caused this, but he wasn't ready to reveal that information yet, "I'll let the woman come up with something better, later.  For now," he pressed the needle through the brat's skin, and pressed the stopper down, "This will have to do.  How are your hands?"

Goku looked at the back of his hands, "The senzu worked," he shrugged as they moved around a corner.

"That one," Vegeta indicated with a jerk of his chin, and Goku turned into the lab with the front of the gurney.

Bulma was already in the lab, Chichi keeping close tabs on what the scientist was doing, "Oh, Gohan!" she sobbed as the sayians came in with Gohan between them.  "What's wrong with him?" she asked accusingly when she received no response.

"Vegeta has sedated him," Bulma said matter-of-factly.

"Drugs?" Chichi demanded.

"Woman!"

"Chichi," Goku interrupted before Vegeta could get started, "He wasn't himself."

"I know that..."

"He was a danger," Vegeta spit out, "To my family, to yours...probably to himself."

"How many shots have you given him?" Bulma asked as she lifted an eyelid and shone a light into one of Gohan's eyes.

"Six," Vegeta shrugged.

"Six?" Bulma asked incredulously; they hadn't been gone for more than two hours.

"He kept waking up," Goku said as he took a seat.  Waiting for the boys had seemed as though it had taken longer than it should have.

"Are you going to be able to do something?" Chichi asked in a huff.

"I don't know," Bulma mumbled as she dug around in a cupboard, pulling out restraints.  Vegeta shuddered.

"What are those?" Goku asked suspiciously; he hadn't missed Vegeta's reaction to them.

"Ki restraints...designed them after the Brolli incident," Bulma said as she began replacing the leather ones that came with the movable bed, "We can't keep him sedated on something that obviously isn't working..."

"Oh..."

 

~o0o~

 

Pan landed tiredly in front of the Capsule Corp building, "Back to where we started..."

Videl took in the sight, eyes continuing to widen in amazement, "He...he really wasn't happy to be back," she gulped.  What had happened to her husband?

Pan sat in the recently cleared dirt, "I am sorry..."

Videl sighed; "Honey..." but she didn't know what to say.  This was her daughter's fault, and they both knew it...she sat in the dirt next to her daughter and pulled her close.

"What...what if he wants to go back?" Pan asked.

Videl blinked.  She hadn't thought of that possibility, "I don't know.  I don't know that it would even be possible..."

Pan nodded, drawing stick figures in the dirt with a tired finger. 

 

~o0o~

 

"I want to be here when he wakes up!" Chichi insisted.

"Chichi," Goku started.

"Look, he obviously wasn't happy to see any of us," Bulma said, "Vegeta's got the best knowledge of Vegeta-sei, and he's not going to get hurt if Gohan throws a fit while he is wearing those," she nodded, indicating the restraints.

"But..."

"Woman.  Do you really want to be here if he has to discuss...relationships," Vegeta cut to the chase tactfully.

Chichi blushed, "Gohan can talk to me about anything...can't he?"

Goku shook his head, "I don't know that he'd tell you details, if it involves that," he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, "Come on hun..."

"O-okay," Chichi gave in grudgingly.

"I'll have someone bring down some food," Bulma said before she followed the other two out of the room.

"Thanks," Vegeta commented, waiting for them all to round the corner before taking a seat.  "Wake up kid."

 

~o0o~

  
  


 


	13. Chapter 12

A/N: THANKS FOR STICKING WITH ME HOSHI! I know it says the same thing, but I mean it!

Another note, the time lines have started to separate. You'll see evidence of that in this chapter, and those to follow. 

##  _Idomu_

### By [Macha ](mailto:bynp@comcast.net)

### Chapter 12

 

"You heartless bastard!"

Vegeta's shoulders slumped as Gohan once again tested his bonds. This whole 'discussion' thing was highly over rated, especially when the person one was supposed to be talking to was stubbornly refusing to cooperate. If it were anyone but another sayian with catastrophic powers, Vegeta may have been willing to let him loose long enough to fight this out of his system...

The kid had cajoled with tears, pleaded convincingly _and_ begged pitifully, for release, more drugs and/or death: all in the first hour after he had woken. It was now creeping towards the third hour he'd been stuck in the room with him, and Gohan had finally started in with the threats, cursing and insults. Vegeta found himself running out of patience, "I am going to get Videl," if anyone was going to be forgiving of this kind of behavior, it was either Kakarott or Gohan's human wife. Gohan trying to kill his own father made Kakarott a bad candidate: Videl just might have a fighting chance of getting through to this mess of a man...sayian.

"NO!" Gohan twisted, yelping when he cause his tied tail pain, "Please, no..."

"Why not?" Vegeta asked with more venom then he had intended.

"S-she won't understand..." Gohan began.

" _I_ don't understand," Vegeta said in exasperation. Gohan may be willing to say things, but none of them actually pertained to what had happened...to make him react this way.

Blissful silence engulfed the room as Gohan turned his head away. Vegeta sat down again resigning himself to begin the waiting process over...

~o0o~

"They've been in there for _hours_!" Chichi paced the kitchen floor impatiently before turning on Videl, "I am surprised you haven't tried to go see him yet. Some 'wife' you are..."

"CHICHI!" Goku exclaimed.

"No, Goku, it's true, I probably should have already..."

"Videl, we all know he isn't ready to see anyone right now," Goku interrupted. Even ki restrained, all those who were able to sense ki could feel Gohan's spiking erratically.

"No, but Vegeta isn't exactly a sympathetic ear," Piccolo said from the doorway.

"Why don't you go?" Chichi turned to the green alien. She didn't much care for the freak, but at least she knew this creature cared for Gohan...

"If I thought it would help, I would," Piccolo grunted, "However, he seems irrationally pissed at me for killing his uncle."

"Uncle?" Pan asked from the corner she had been sitting in, staring out the window. She didn't know her father had had an uncle...

"Radditz," Goku said.

"Oh," Pan remembered those stories about one of Vegeta's henchmen coming to Earth and threatening her grandpa and dad, but... "Wait, you're saying Radditz was my dad's uncle?"

Goku shrugged: the detail hadn't seemed important while telling the bedtime story...

"That would make him your brother?" Pan pressed.

Goku grimaced, "I guess. I didn't remember him, and he was threatening Earth..."

"Huh..." Pan said. This brought a whole new light to the story, but she didn't feel the need to press for details in the face of everything else that was going on. She turned her gaze back out the window.

"So?" Chichi asked.

"So?" Goku echoed.

"Is someone going to go down there?!" Chichi insisted.

"I'll go," Goten looked up from the card game he and Trunks were playing, "I don't think he has a grudge against me..."

Chichi smiled proudly at her youngest, "Thank you."

"You want me to go with?" Trunks asked.

Goten shook his head, "Nah...it's my brother," he said as he got up and headed for the lower labs.

~o0o~

Vegeta looked up as someone knocked on the plexiglass window. He sighed in relief to see Goten. Why hadn't he thought of that? "You okay with your brother coming in?" he asked the silent sayian on the table. He got up at Gohan's listless shrug and went to the door, exited and closed it quietly behind him.

"How's he doing?" Goten asked as he peered into the room behind the window.

"Not well," Vegeta confessed.

"Is there anything I can do?" Goten asked.

"Well, he still isn't really talking," Vegeta began, "If you could sit with him for a couple of hours..." gods he needed to stretch.

"Sure, Vegeta."

"What ever you do, do NOT let him out of those restraints," Vegeta cautioned, "He's been trying to connive his way out of them since he woke."

"They don't look very comfortable..."

"Don't let him fool you. He's in no condition to be let up yet," Vegeta started worrying about Goten's attention span. Maybe this wasn't a good idea...

"I promise," Goten said.

Vegeta sighed and nodded, and Goten opened the door, "Hey bro," Vegeta heard him say quietly before the door was closed. He watched from the window as Gohan shifted uncomfortably as Goten moved closer.

Goten stopped, unsure as his brother turned his face away from him. "What?" He was certain Gohan had said something. He felt sympathy welling inside his gut as his brother's shoulders started to shake, jerkily, an awkward movement seeing how both his elbows and wrists were strapped down to bars on each side of the table.

Oh, gods, it hurt! He couldn't live with it...Gohan jerked his head away as gentle fingers smoothed over his forehead, shifting sweat soaked bangs back from his face, before settling on his cheek, "Sha, Gohan, I am here."

'But you're not whom I wish were here...' Gohan thought despondently.

Goten flinched as Gohan screamed, tendons in his neck and arms becoming evident with exertion: thankfully there was no shock wave from this one, his brother's ki having been mostly locked away. He pressed his hand down on Gohan's chest; a gentle, warm contact meant to be reassuring...

Gohan thrashed, trying to make the comforting touch over the hollowness inside his chest go away, and it did, only to feel those incessant fingers against his cheek again.

Moments of stillness and silence passed as Goten watched streams of tears run down his brother's cheeks: surely enough to have soaked the padding beneath his brother's shoulders. Open, flooding eyes, focusing on absolutely nothing. They closed as he removed his hand from his brother's face to pull his lightweight jacket off, bunching it up before lifting his brother's head with one hand and placing the pillowed material under his brother's head.

Goten jerked his had back as he unwittingly smoothed his hand over Gohan's covered bonding mark, and his brother snapped at his hand. Steely, angry eyes stared him down as his brother's lip lifted and Gohan actually snarled at him. "Oh, Gohan," Goten said quietly, no hint of rebuke in his voice or countenance, "What's gotten into you?"

Gohan's features relaxed minutely, and then seemed to crumble all at once. Lower lip trembling, eyes narrowing and then clenching shut, eyebrows scrunching together. Gohan's mouth opened to release, jerky, breathless sobs. A great inhale, and then a shuddering, helpless cry. Goten leaned over as best he could with the situation and pulled Gohan's face to his chest, running a strong hand through his hair before pressing the other's face to him tightly. Kissing the top of his head consolingly.

It hurt – to breathe: his throat so constricted...just a little more, and he wouldn't have to feel this anymore. Seconds ticked on, counted with the beat of his brother's heart. "I-I f-fu-ck'd u-up, Go-ten-n," Gohan's words were barely understandable in their hushed and stuttered fashion.

"We'll...I'll get you through this," Goten whispered back steadfastly. He felt his brother's headshake in his grasp.

"Y-you can't," the hopelessness in Gohan's statement told him his brother had already given up, "I have to pay for it," the resolve of believed blame and assumed necessary punishment of someone convinced of their guilt, "I'm already paying for it," Gohan sighed resignedly, trying to pull his head back from Goten's chest.

Goten let him do so grudgingly, "There's nothing you could have done to deserve this."

Gohan chuckled mirthlessly at his brother's naivety, "So young."

Goten growled, "I am _not_ that much younger than you. Basing my understanding of what is happening on my age before telling me what has happened isn't fair. I'm not a stupid kid, Gohan," he stopped as his brother gave him a genuine, though weak, smile.

"No, Goten, you're not stupid," Gohan agreed, turning his face away, "But you don't know..."

"Does this have something to do with Radditz?" Goten blurted, and jumped slightly as his brother's whole body lunged his direction, shifting the bed, even if he didn't come out of his bonds.

"What do you know of Radditz?" Gohan hissed.

"Just what Dad and Mr. Piccolo were discussing upstairs," Goten held up his hands.

"Stupid, nosy, indiscreet bastards," Gohan growled as he turned his attention away from Goten again. Minutes passed.

"You going to tell me about it?" Goten asked quietly. He sighed when the only response he gained from his brother was an undecipherable grunt, "You act as though..."

"Fuck you, Goten," Gohan spat. He didn't want to hear what his brother thought about his actions.

"No," Goten said, moving closer, grabbing hold of Gohan's jaw, and forcing his gaze his direction, "Fuck you, Gohan. You're acting as though this is the only thing that matters..."

"Because it is," Gohan hissed.

"You're saying I don't matter?" Goten accused, "Your wife doesn't matter? Our mother or your daughter – don't matter? Everyone's efforts over the last six months to bring you back?"

Gohan jerked his jaw out of Goten's grip, "No"

"Look _at_ me and say I don't matter," Goten gripped his chin again, forcing Gohan to look at him.

"You don't..." but he did...some little part of him still cared. He felt useless tears building in his eyes again: was he already betraying Radditz? Was he really that fickle? "You don't understand."

Goten nodded, "I don't understand. But I want to."

Gohan smiled, a subtle shift of his lips: nothing more. "I hope you never do, little brother. It hurts- a lot."

Goten pulled up a stool and sat down, "So, are you going to talk to me?"

Gohan sighed, closing his eyes, "I'm going to cry..." he warned. He could already feel the tears lining up to be let out...his throat aching again....

Goten nodded, "Okay..."

Gohan turned his head to the side, "Pull the robe down," he instructed in a barely audible whisper.

One of Goten's eyebrows raised as he reached hesitantly for the area his brother had been so protective of earlier. Even after having given his permission, Gohan growled at him as he pulled the material down. Goten ignored the capsule his brother had tied around his neck as a necklace, in favor of the wound on his brother's shoulder, "Holy shit, Gohan. What _is_ that?" It looked days old, but still ugly, red and swollen.

Gohan shifted uncomfortably at being exposed, "I'll try to explain, Goten."

~o0o~~o0o~

Radditz looked up as Gohan seemed to be cast in shadow. The red, clear sky indicated that clouds covering the suns weren't the culprit. When he looked back, Gohan had moved...no, he – he was....

...Gone?

~o0o~

Five heads lifted as though they all felt a change in the weather coming. Five faces looked at each other, expressing different things from confusion, concern to understanding.

Kakarott looked over to the last place he'd seen Radditz and Gohan conversing. "Oh, no," he said so quietly even Prince Vegeta had a difficult time understanding what he had said. He watched as his brother's tall form collapsed to his knees. "Radditz..." gods, he felt as though he were in slow motion: couldn't get to his brother fast enough...

Stopped and just stared as his brother looked up at him, "He's gone," statement of fact spoken with wonderment – no, disbelief.

"I know," Kakarott answered simply. He watched as Radditz turned his gaze away, back to where Gohan had last stood, he surmised, and then just stared.

"Radditz...."

"I thought I could make him stay," Radditz voice was feeble, "Why couldn't I make him stay?" Guilt started to compound: he hadn't loved him enough; he'd rejected him when he needed him most; he'd cared more about what others would think, than what had really mattered, and now he was gone...

Kakarott didn't have the answers: he didn't know either. He had never seen his brother look so lost. He turned away momentarily as Vegeta touched his shoulder, "I have to go soon...." The prince said.

"You can't go alone; Go..." caution and courtesy changed Kakarott's wording, "He said you shouldn't," he whispered.

Prince Vegeta nodded, looking at his commander, "I don't think he should be left alone. You can't stay here though. Proving Idomu is critical to this face off with my father."

...His fault, Radditz _knew_ he'd been considered too weak, but he was not up to the task of shouldering this burden alone...someone else had to be responsible as well....

"I'll take him back to the house," Bardock interjected, and both Kakarott and Vegeta relaxed. It wasn't as though they didn't care that Gohan was gone...Vegeta was pissed at the former slave's timing; Kakarott wanted to cry, for himself, for his brother, but both of them understood there were tasks that _had_ to be accomplished before there would be time for them to grieve....

Radditz jerked his arm out of Bardock's grasp as his father reached to direct him up from the ground, "I can get up on my own, old man."

"Then by all means do," Bardock's voice held none of the sympathy he felt.

Radditz snarled, still looking at nothing. Moments later, "I-I don't want to," he whispered. He could stay here forever, if he chose. It was none of their business if he wanted to stay here.

Vegeta shook his head, coming behind his commander and striking where jaw line met neck, causing Radditz to pass out. "He can be pissed at me later. We need to go now," he said, looking over his shoulder at the rising dust clouds caused by legions of low flying hover vehicles.

Bardock grunted as he hefted one of Radditz' arms over his shoulder, and Toma came to assist him with the other. Even sharing the load, both of them had difficulty dragging Radditz' dead weight in the direction of the house.

"Come, Kakarott," Vegeta said, touching his shoulder once again. He nodded knowingly as Kakarott turned to him, tears building in his eyes, "One crisis at a time."

Kakarott had a feeling it wasn't going to be that easy. They all seemed to be arriving at once....

~o0o~~o0o~

Gohan grimaced. He really didn't want to see Videl at the moment. Admittedly, he didn't want to see any one at the moment with the possible exception of his brother.

"You can't keep avoiding her," Goten sighed, "You've been down here over 86 hours."

"I could try..." Gohan said wistfully: he knew Videl would expect certain things from him, like a husband, happy to see his wife, but he couldn't give her that. Maybe if the wish had happened a couple of days earlier, he'd be here, asking her forgiveness of his transgressions. Now? No, not now.

Gohan rubbed his wrists, thankful to be free, but knowing any moment he showed signs of losing it, he'd be right back in them. His brother and Vegeta were very dutiful in keeping tabs on him: it was somewhat annoying.

However, it was difficult to keep his emotions under control. Both Goten and Vegeta knew this, and yet Goten was insisting he see Videl, "Can't it wait a couple more days?"

Goten shook his head, "I suppose it could, but it's not going to make the situation any better," he still wasn't certain what his brother would tell Videl, but that wasn't his business. His business was to make sure his brother kept on moving forward, instead of back...wherever that took him.

Gohan looked at the floor, "Fine."

Goten grinned, "I'll bring her down when she gets here..."

Gohan shook his head, "I'd like to take a shower and be in some real clothes first, please." They'd at least let him have that: right?

"Stalling?" Goten asked knowingly.

Gohan grimaced and ran a hand through his hair and held it out for his brother to inspect, "Not really."

Now it was Goten's turn to grimace, "Sorry..."

"It wasn't like you could trust me over the last few days: I understand," Gohan shrugged.

Goten shifted his weight. He hated to admit it, even to himself, but he still wasn't so certain he could trust his brother when it came to ki fluctuations, emotions and...well, the subject of 'marriage'. He turned and pressed the intercom button on the wall, "Vegeta."

Vegeta scowled as he was paged. He was just starting to break a sweat in his routine, damn it! He turned the controls back to zero and grabbed a towel before walking over to the com unit on the wall, "Yes."

Goten rolled his eyes at the annoyance both he and Gohan could hear in the sayian's voice, "Gohan would like to shower and dress before Videl visits."

Vegeta looked up at the gravity room's ceiling, beseeching patience, "And?"

"Well, I can't exactly get him clothes and still keep an eye on him...." Goten tried his damnedest to keep sarcasm out of his reply.

Vegeta growled, "Fine. Meet me in the west lab..."

"Which room?"

Vegeta grit his teeth: Goten was being a pain in the ass on purpose, he could feel it, "37" the kid had practically grown up here. He _knew_ where the chemical spill showers were...

"Okay, we'll see you there," Goten said just before he released the button, and turned back to Gohan, "What?"

"You really ought to think about _not_ antagonizing him like that," Gohan said, trying to keep the wicked grin off of his face.

"He hasn't killed me yet," Goten said, affecting little concern.

Gohan shook his head as he hopped down from the bed, "I think 'yet' is the variable term here..."

Goten shrugged, "Did you really want a shower? Or do you want to stay in here and coach me on how to approach Vegeta?"

"Lead the way," Gohan stated, "You know this place better than I."

Goten opened the door, "About that..."

"Hmmm?" Gohan asked as he followed his brother out of the room he'd been in for days. He stopped for a moment just to take in a breath that wasn't saturated with his own scent....

"Bulma's got this plan," Goten began, smirking at his brother's groan.

"Do I have no say in my life?" Gohan asked with sufferance in his voice.

"Probably not for a while," Goten said in all honesty. His brother may be acting normal at the moment, but there was no way he was over...this.

Gohan's shoulders slumped, "What's the plan?" he asked in defeat as they began to progress towards the west wing.

"It seems, that when your job fired you...oh, yeah, we haven't talked much about what's been going on here," Goten said after his brother stopped again, "You've been fired."

Gohan shook his head, "Yeah, just got the memo."

"Any way," Goten said as he resumed walking, "Videl came to ask Bulma if she might have a job for you."

Gohan growled faintly. He hated being anyone's charity case. "What's she got planned?" he asked resignedly.

"Seems, for some reason, Bulma's decided the time machine project needs to be brought back on line...."

Gohan stopped, "What?!" There wouldn't be many reasons for the President of Capsule Corp to resurrect that project...the hazards involved with that type of technology in the wrong hands would have to be nullified by the good of having it in the right hands....

Goten held up his hands, "Don't worry. Nothing world threatening caused her to make this decision," he tried to assure his brother.

Gohan shook his head as the turned into a lab the size of a small airplane hanger, "Do you know what did?" he asked. There were a few Capsule Corp employees around; Gohan surmised they were working over time hours, but otherwise the place was deserted for the weekend.

Goten shook his head, "You're going to have to ask her yourself," he said before stopping, and nodding his head in the direction of Vegeta standing with his back against a wall, "Of course, that's after you talk with Videl."

Gohan's tail lashed once before he wrapped it back around his waist, "Okay."

"I am going to get something to eat," Goten said loud enough for Vegeta to hear and turned to leave the lab before Vegeta could form any objections if the sayian had wanted too.

"I can't wait until we don't have to baby-sit you any more, brat," Vegeta growled as he shifted away from the wall to shove some clothing into Gohan's hands.

Gohan growled back, "I have a name," he set his clothing down on a counter top and pulled the curtain back to enter the shower room without giving Vegeta time to respond. He was shedding his medical robe when Vegeta walked in after him, "Can I at least shower on my own?" If he didn't have a moment's peace he was going to destroy something soon.

"I was in the middle of training when your brother called," Vegeta said, taking off his training top, "If I am not going back for the next couple of hours, I need a shower also. Might as well do it here," he finished explaining.

"Oh," Gohan couldn't find fault with that: well, the fact he still had to be watched...he sighed as he walked into the shower proper, Vegeta following after Gohan had already set a spigot to his liking. The younger frowned at the smell of the soap/shampoo that came out of the dispenser on the wall, but rubbed it into his hair any way.

Gohan had the soap rinsed off and was relaxing under the spray when he opened his eyes to find Vegeta staring at him. The sayian grunted, and turned his face into the water coming down from above him, "What?" Gohan asked in irritation, tail wrapping back around his waist.

"Wondering how you got your tail back," Vegeta said off-handedly.

The statement made Gohan pause. Then, "Do you want yours back?"

Vegeta turned to face him again, some indescribable emotion in his eyes, "You know how?"

Gohan grinned, "Yeah," then he frowned, "But...I need to make the formula, and it hurts...a lot."

p>Vegeta turned his shower off, "I want it back. What do you need to make this happen?"

"Well, according to what Goten said, Bulma's already going to have me working here, for a while," Gohan stated he reached an arm back and turned the water off, "It will just take some time..." that phrase coming out of his own mouth...Gohan could feel grief making a come back with vengeance. Goten had reassured him it would only take time, but Gohan was certain this was something he didn't want to heal from: he considered it the equivalent of forgetting...and he never wanted to forget. ~ _Radditz_ ~

He was shocked back to the physical world from his spiraling thoughts as ice-cold water rained down on him. The only thing accomplished was him opening his eyes to find out who the guilty party was: the sobs still came. Fuck, crying in front of Vegeta... _again_.

Vegeta sighed, turning the water temperature back up now that Gohan's ki was no longer on the rise. He frowned as he noted Gohan clawing at the mark, "It'll never heal, if you don't leave it be," he spoke quietly, sighing again as Gohan shook his head childishly, helpless wails still coming from him. Vegeta growled, wondering where Goten was: that brat was better at this emotional comforting shit than he, and this _was_ his brother. When had he drawn the short straw on watchdog duty?

He grimaced as he noticed Gohan _had_ managed to tear the mark open, and it was bleeding profusely now. That had to stop. He bent to reach for Gohan's wrist, to pull it away, and slipped as Gohan's tail lashed in agitation, knocking into his ankles.

Vegeta grunted as his knees hit tile, and growled in irritation, yanking Gohan's left hand away from the damage it was doing to his right shoulder . All fight abandoned the other's body at once, and Vegeta suddenly found himself with an arm full of sobbing Gohan. His hesitance in putting an arm around the other was replaced by action as Gohan's head and upper body began to slide down his torso. His whole body froze as Gohan's arms came around his waist: what was he supposed to do now? He wasn't made for _this_!

Vegeta closed his eyes, and a flash of Bulma wrapping her arms around Bura and patting her back gently at some hurt the child, his child, had thought she had suffered, came to mind. He lifted a hesitant hand and patted Gohan's back awkwardly....

~o0o~

"We're here!" Goten sighed at Videl's call as he finished putting the remainder of the lunch makings back in the fridge. "When do I get to see him?"

Goten closed the fridge, "Well, he wanted to shower, and change into a decent set of clothing before you visited," he said as he picked up the platter and moved from the kitchen to the dinning room table. "So, it will probably be a little while. Half hour?" he addressed his sister-in-law as he sat.

"Can I have some?" Goku asked, licking his lips.

Goten smiled. He should have realized Videl would have his father IT them to Capsule Corporation as soon as she got the 'okay'. "Yeah, Dad. Go ahead. I can always make up more," he turned his attention back to Videl, "I wouldn't expect too much from him," he cautioned, "You want some?" he asked her, pointing to the food on the table.

Videl shook her head, "Nah, I am too keyed up..."

"Mind if I have her share?" Trunks' voice came from the hallway.

Goten laughed, "That's a small portion..." he warned.

Trunks moved into the dinning area, "Well, as I heard from down the hall, you can always make more," he stuck his tongue out at his friend as he sat, and grabbed a sandwich.

"Actually, I can make some more now, since I am not going to eat," Videl said, moving into the kitchen, "And it will give me something to do while I wait," she informed them as she opened the fridge.

Goten only shrugged his shoulders as he stuffed more food into his mouth. Fine by him if she wanted to do the job.

Tummies were only half way full when three mouths stopped chewing. "Shit," Goten exclaimed, standing and swallowing his mouthful, ready to dash down to the labs as Gohan's ki began to rise. He had barely lifted a hand in a warding gesture as he noticed his dad bring his fingers to his forehead, "Dad, no..." but Goku was already gone, "Fuck," he cursed again as he turned to go to the labs the mundane way. He was at the stairwell when he stopped; Gohan's ki had leveled out.

~o0o~

Goku stood at the shower's entrance, ki as low as he could possibly make it. He was glad he'd at least had that foresight. Neither of them noticed he was there. It looked as though Vegeta had everything covered....

...Well not exactly covered, but he knew what he meant...damn it! Under control...yeah, that's what he had meant to think.

He turned to leave the two, walking from the room instead of IT'ing out, two sets of discarded clothing barely registering as he walked past, and managed to stop the few employees in the area from entering the showers as he exited, "Everything's fine," he grimaced as his son's sobs finally penetrated his shock. "Well, everything is under control," he amended, and people stalled before turning away. If this man said things were okay, they'd believe him. None of them had the energy or time to tackle what was an obvious, monumental emotional upheaval, and not a crisis pertaining to work, with quarter end deadlines and quotas staring them down.

Goku sighed, placing one hand on the back of his head, running it down and rubbing at muscles that had suddenly become tense in his neck before walking out of the lab and heading upstairs, chastising himself for even thinking of the possibility Vegeta would take advantage of....

He stopped at the entry to the kitchen/dinning area in the Briefs household. Three sets of eyes turned to him, expectant in varying degrees, "It may be a little while more before Gohan's ready to see you today," Goku tried to break the news to Videl gently. He knew she'd had her hopes up....

Videl sighed tiredly, "Okay," she turned to Trunks; "Is there a spare room I can take a nap in?" she didn't feel like going home, only to have to make the effort to come back later that same day. She was worn out: mentally, emotionally and physically.

Trunks nodded, "Sure," he said as he stood, "Follow me."

~o0o~

"Better?" Vegeta asked after Gohan's sobs had become intermittent hic-cups. He was very uncomfortable with the situation, both the overly emotional and physical contact aspects.

"Not really," Gohan answered in a tired and hoarse whisper.

"Water is cooling down," Vegeta observed, he felt Gohan nod against his shoulder.

"Yeah...I guess," Gohan managed to move himself away from the other, turning his face into the now cool spray, rinsing off tears, drool, snot...he grimaced, and he'd been doing that all over Vegeta, "Sorry."

Vegeta didn't comment as he stood, waited for Gohan to back out of the water before rinsing himself off, "Next time at least let me get a towel for you to drool on."

The idea Vegeta thought this might happen again, and apparently wasn't threatening him with life or limb because of it, struck Gohan as funny. He laughed, giggles at first, turning to almost silent hysterics.

Vegeta rolled his eyes: the kid was obviously off his rocker, but he could at least deal with this, "Come on. You've got people who are here to see you," he said as he turned the shower off.

Gohan nodded, managing to sober up the slightest at the mention of Videl. "Yeah...how long have we been down here?" he said, looking around, but the underground facility wouldn't give up clues as to what time of day it actually was.

Vegeta shrugged as he exited to the next room. Gohan followed, noting subconsciously the many scars on the sayian's back, "In terms of time? I don't know. Long enough for the water to turn cold, and the tanks for those showers are big," Vegeta said as he grabbed a towel off a rack.

Gohan grabbed a towel from the group on the opposite side of the entry. He toweled off, and looked around, sighing before sticking his head out of the curtained entrance and making a grab for the clothing Vegeta had brought down earlier. He hurried to put them on, pants sticking to still damp skin, as Vegeta waited with a towel on around his waist, his dirty training outfit rolled up and tucked under one arm, boots held in his hand on the opposite side, "Didn't know your brother was going to take off," Vegeta shrugged as he noted Gohan's observations, "Would have brought a set of clean clothes for myself, if I had." He used his forearm to press the curtain aside, allowing Gohan to exit before following him.

~o0o~

Videl's eyes fluttered open as someone shook her gently awake, "Gohan's ready to see you," she heard Bulma's voice in the dimly lit room.

Videl stretched and yawned, "Okay," she said as she sat up. She had to look a mess after having napped in her clothing. She shrugged to herself as she stood, and slipped her loosely tied shoes on. The door opened as Bulma exited before she did, the lights in the hallway somewhat uncomfortable until her eyes became accustomed to the new stimulus.

She followed her friend and employer down the hallway, coming to a tiny room with a huge window she hadn't known existed until that moment. She smiled as Gohan turned his attention away from the view from the window at their entry. Something about the smile he gave in return wasn't encouraging, "I'll leave you two some time alone," Bulma said, "Both Vegeta and Goten are near by," she informed Gohan before leaving.

Videl swallowed at the seriousness in Bulma's statement before turning back to her husband, "What's that all about?" she knew her husband was a wreck, but certainly he wasn't a danger to her any more: was he?

Gohan sighed, looking out the window again, "I am not certain how much Goten has told you..."

"He hasn't told me anything," Videl said with exasperation, "And before you ask, neither has Vegeta. The only one that has said anything that's given me the slightest clue is your father, and that was the first day after you were wished back, and he hasn't said another word about it since. What happened?"

Gohan turned his attention back to the woman at one point he thought he would live the rest of his days with, "I am no longer the same man," he whispered. He didn't know if was actually telling his wife, or trying to confirm this to himself.

Videl nodded, taking a seat in the chair opposite Gohan's, "Vegeta mentioned something about...well, slavery, on Vegeta-sei, after you were wished away," she stopped, not totally comfortable with the subject.

Gohan nodded, at least he wouldn't have to introduce her to the idea, "That's part of it," he confirmed.

"Was it a male or female master?" she stopped, it didn't really matter what gender: what was important was getting her husband back, "We can work together to overcome that," Videl tried to reassure him, but flinched as Gohan's tail thumped the material of the chair he sat in, "I know it won't be easy..."

Gohan shook his head. It wasn't going to be easy, but he knew there was no place in his heart for her any more, "I was unfaithful while I was away."

Videl spoke before she knew all of the details, "I wouldn't call being a slave and having no choice in the matter 'unfaithful'."

Gohan's interlaced fingers tightened to the point he was causing himself some pain before he spoke, "I was only a slave on Vegeta-sei for part of the time I was there."

"Oh," Videl hadn't known this, "Oh," she said again, this time with dawning understanding, "By unfaithful..." did she really want to know the answers?

Gohan couldn't look up. Looking up meant he had to show her how much Radditz meant to him, and he was barely keeping himself in check as it was.

Videl knew she had to fill in the answer on her own, "You mean you loved another?" sex with someone was one thing...she may have been able to deal with it, but at her husband's nod, she wondered why she had fought so hard to bring him back, "How could you?" it was asked quietly, but still held a great deal of hurt.

"There was a time I didn't think I was coming back, Videl..."

"You should have known I was fretting about you every moment you were gone!" Videl ground out.

"I kept calculations, Videl. Like I said, there came a time I didn't think I was coming back, and I..." he took a deep breath, "I let my guard down..." he closed his eyes, clenching his teeth against the memory of Radditz marking him, "If you had wished me back sooner..."

Videl sat up straight; "I didn't have a choice," she hissed, "Someone smashed all of the radars four weeks before the dragon balls were reactivated. It took Bulma and a crew 29 days to get them rebuilt and another two days to get the dragon balls gathered. Don't you think I would have had you by my side as quickly as possible?"

"What?" Gohan asked, looking up in shock. Someone had done what?

"Someone came and smashed the radars. We weren't able to find out whom. Bulma's security team found one fingerprint that wasn't Bulma's, but she didn't have the identity of the person in her database. If I _ever_ come across the bastard that did this to you, to me, to our family, I will kill them," she threatened, meaning every word, even if it didn't change the present.

Gohan had fallen back in his chair, too stunned by her statement to respond properly. The possibility of someone wishing him back before Radditz had claimed him...would he want that? All the pain he was going through could have been avoided?

...But now? Even though he knew it was the more rational course, he still wouldn't wish this pain away: it meant too much...he supposed if he'd had the choice before Radditz had marked him, he probably would have gone down the rational road...but he couldn't...wouldn' t take the easy road now....

Videl stood, "I am going to go," she said, "This," she sighed, "I can see you've already given up on us, and I am too tired to continue to fight for it," and she left. She had struggled for him for over six months, and he wasn't willing to match the effort it would take to keep them together. She couldn't begin to express the frustration she felt at the moment, and even if she could, Videl wasn't certain she wanted to be expressing it to him.

She turned from her initial direction, walking through the halls of the Brief's home before she finally found Bulma sitting in one of her less formal offices, and knocked on the door frame, Bulma jerked in startled reaction before looking up, "Oh, Videl..." she stopped, taking in Videl's appearance, "I-I take it this didn't go so well," she stated, more than asked.

"No, it did not," Videl huffed, "I am giving you my two weeks notice..."

Bulma stood, "Videl, if you need to take a leave of absence..."

Videl shook her head, "If he is going to be working here, I don't want to be in the same building," she said, "I-I can't even think straight right now..."

Bulma nodded, "I know, that's why I suggested the leave instead of quitting."

"No. I...I need to get away," she sighed.

Bulma frowned, not happy with the situation, but not totally without understanding, "If you need to, you can quit now. I won't hold it against you if you care to use me as a reference."

Videl looked up and nodded, "I am going to take you up on that. Thank you for looking out for me, I just...I'm not strong enough to do this any more," and she left in search of Goku to IT her home.

Bulma sighed as she returned to her chair. She barely had enough time to take two breaths before her own husband was standing in the doorway, "Well?"

"Videl quit, and by the looks of it, I'd say their marriage isn't going to last," she rubbed a hand tiredly over her face before looking up at her husband, "You don't seem too surprised by this," she accused.

Vegeta shrugged, "That ugly mark on Gohan's shoulder is a mating mark," he informed her.

Bulma's eyes widened, "A what?"

"It's a...sort of...like...marriage..."

"What do you mean by 'sort of'?" Bulma asked with suspicion.

"It's a little more binding than a piece of paper," he said gruffly.

Bulma's eyes narrowed, "If you are saying..."

Vegeta held up one hand, "I am saying, neither partner has much of a choice after it's been done, and they are usually damned well sure when they do it."

"Usually?" Bulma asked. Something about the way her husband's stance had changed when he mentioned that...

"Gohan doesn't have both marks," Vegeta interpreted, "Which means something happened to disrupt it, they weren't compatible for some reason, or he doesn't have the necessary glands to reciprocate..." but he knew better...he was just giving reasons...the brat's lower canines held the distinct characteristic of a bondable...maybe he'd better check Goten and Trunks as well...and the way Gohan had been so focused on Radditz, left little doubt in his mind as to whom the brat was partially bonded to. Seemed his commander was capable of acting rashly in other time lines as well.

"Glands?" she held up her hand before Vegeta could answer, "Wait...I need a break. Then I'll grill you for answers."

Vegeta groaned, "I'd much rather you'd grill me for something else..."

Bulma frowned, "Maybe later."

~o0o~  


"Why didn't someone tell me the radars had been destroyed?" Gohan quizzed Goten as they exited the building. He'd barely managed to get his brother to agree to letting him outside. He paused, looking around, "What happened?" the landscape was torn up, buildings were under repair...

"You did," Goten said, scarcely noticing the orange cones and yellow tape he'd become accustomed to over the last few days as he led his brother to the other side of the building. He sighed thankfully as he sat down on a stone bench near one of Mrs. Briefs' koi ponds: the heat from the day still warming the benches even though the sun was going down.

Gohan took a seat on the next bench across the pool of water from him, "Sorry..." he had a feeling he was going to be apologizing a lot.

Goten snapped his attention away from the orange and white fish and their graceful, if seemingly aimless, movements, "When was there an opportune time to tell you?" he asked, not knowing if there were an answer Gohan would come up with. He spoke again when his brother did not provide one, "So, yes, the radars were destroyed. But..." he hesitated, "You want to know all the important details now?" Goten hoped his brother would give him a break.

No such luck. Gohan sighed, "Might as well give them all to me now. I seem to be holding it together fairly well," considering he had just called off his marriage...not that he blamed Videl for any of this. He knew that even if she had tried, the failure of their marriage was inevitable...and would have still been caused by him and his lack of vision for it.

Goten nodded to himself, trying to gain a measure of strength to get him through this, "Pan was supposed to tell you this, but I fear, if this were to wait..." he hesitated again.

"What was Pan supposed to tell me?" Gohan asked quietly. He'd hardly thought about his daughter since he'd gotten back, and knew he'd have to apologize for being such a poor father later, as well as everything else.

Goten kicked a tiny pebble into the water, watching as some fish scattered, and others hardly took notice, "Pan made the wish that sent you to Vegeta-sei," he stated quietly, "Something along the lines of wanting you to learn a lesson, but take no permanent harm from it," Goten explained further when his brother didn't speak up immediately. Silence followed and drew out. Crickets started to chorus.

Gohan didn't have a response for his brother's statement. He knew Goten was expecting him to ask questions, but right now, he had other questions he was asking himself that seemed more important. He should be angry at his daughter for doing that...but then, he'd never have been to Vegeta-sei. He would have never learned as much about himself as he had. Sure, some of the experiences he'd gone through, he wouldn't want to repeat, but on the whole, as unsettling as some of his character flaws were...he wouldn't change it, "Okay."

"Okay?" Goten asked: he'd been anticipating some sort of emotional outburst from his brother, not complacency.

"Look, it's done," Gohan said as he sat up straighter, "I can't change it..."

"If the time machine works, you could..." Goten brought up.

"Yeah," again, Gohan was forced to examine his motives. "I guess," even if he did wish these discoveries and memories away...wouldn't he be doomed to make the same mistakes over? Now, at least, he knew what he was dealing with...if he were honest with himself...and he was going to try to be.

"You mean you wouldn't?" Goten tried to keep his response neutral.

"Probably not, Goten," Gohan responded, looking back down at the fish, "Sure, I hurt now, but there were a lot of things I would prefer not to become ignorant of again."

"Like?" Goten needed to know what his brother thought made it worth it.

"Radditz," Gohan said fondly, and surprisingly, no guilt or grief came as he consciously thought about the other.

Goten noted his brother's hand reaching for his shoulder, but it wasn't the incessant scratching he'd become aware of over the last few days. "About that," he said, looking to the side.

"Yeah?" Gohan asked.

"I-I didn't behave so well when Vegeta brought up the subject of...well, to put it bluntly, gay sex," Goten confessed, and was shocked when his brother laughed.

The thought of this Vegeta as a sex educational figure: Gohan had a difficult time picturing it, "I don't think I would have taken it well either, Goten," he sobered, "But on Vegeta-sei, two of the same gender being together wasn't referred to in those terms."

"Huh?" Goten responded.

"As a matter of fact, sex was called sex. If I heard anything about it, it was called 'preference'," Gohan tried his best ease his brother into the idea, "Kind of like if someone here prefers blondes to red heads."

Goten sighed, waving a hand at Gohan, "It doesn't bother me, any more. I was just shocked at the time. It's worn off now. And," he stilled.

"And?" Gohan pressed.

"Well, I-I think...well, Trunks," Goten tried to expound on the subject, but found it too awkward.

Gohan smiled a knowing smile, "About damned time..." the older brother had figured that out _before_ he'd been to Vegeta-sei.

Goten looked for something to throw at his brother for teasing, but came up with nothing, other than a ki ball, and the situation didn't seem to warrant that, "Yeah, I just don't know how to break it to Dad...."

"What?" Gohan was surprised by this concern: if anything, he would have thought the more difficult parent to break this to would have been their mother.

"Dad's...well, he's being stubborn about it, and I don't know why," he said, looking up at Gohan. "I mean, you said on Vegeta-sei...he and Vegeta...."

"Yeah," Gohan said, frowning while he thought, "He's a lot older than you," Gohan stated, tail flicking water at his brother when Goten snorted at him for stating the obvious, "Maybe...maybe it's just going to take him longer to get over the shock of the idea," and then another thought hit him, which he wasn't certain he wanted to share with Goten...not yet. His father was always working so hard _not_ to give into his sayian instincts...maybe this stubbornness had its roots there.

"So, are you going to start behaving normal now?" Goten asked.

"Normal?" Gohan growled.

"Well, if you wouldn't use the time machine to go back and change the way things happened, then I don't want to hear you whining about it," Goten stated his mind with all the tact of a rhino.

"Sheesh, Goten. Even I can't guarantee that. A little more patience, okay?" Gohan asked flicking more water his direction.

"Will you stop showing off?" Goten asked as he wiped his face off again.

"It could have been a fish," Gohan warned.

"Mrs. Briefs would kill you," Goten countered with all seriousness.

"Beware of the wrath of Bunni Briefs," Gohan couldn't help but chuckle at that.

The chuckle was infectious, and Goten joined in before saying, "Well, if you are staying here, I would suggest you do. She'll be the one feeding you after all."

Gohan sighed: and there was a whole other set of problems he'd been putting off. If he and Videl weren't together any more, where would he be staying? When would he get to see his daughter?

  
  


 


	14. Chapter 13

##  _Idomu_

### By [Macha ](mailto:bynp@comcast.net)

### Chapter 13

 

He got his answer to the first question the next morning, after he tracked down Bulma to confirm or deny all that his brother had been telling him about working for Capsule Corp.

"He told you that, huh?" Bulma said from behind her desk. She turned her attention away as an incoming email announced itself with a tiny blip from her computer speakers. Noting it wasn't of particular import she turned back.

"Yeah," Gohan stated.

"Well, he was correct: I was hoping you'd be willing the head up a team for the time machine project. If that means you need a place to stay until you get your life back together, then we'll find space for you here. Besides, you are practically family," Bulma smiled at him, "Is there anything else?"

"Well," Gohan shifted in his seat, "A few things, actually. Firstly, are you going to continue to investigate who smashed the radars?"

Bulma hadn't been expecting that question, and failed to completely hide her true reaction, "No..."

"Why not?" Gohan asked: he didn't know why it bothered him as _much_ as it did.

"Well," Bulma stalled, "Um..."

Her stalling quickly gained Gohan's attention as odd: she was usually so articulate...this was clearly not her best subject.

Finally, "Well, I stepped up security, added additional measures, and you are home, safe..." Bulma tried to list all the positives as to why she wouldn't continue a search for something she supposedly didn't have an answer for. She smiled as she got an idea, "But if you would like to take that on as a second project, I don't mind."

Gohan sighed, "I think it will have to wait. I have a couple others I'd like to get started first."

"Oh?" Bulma asked, intrigued.

Gohan smiled as he snapped the thong that had kept the capsule around his neck in place, "While I was away, I managed to create a senzu formula..." he paused; grimacing as he wished his hands weren't full.

Bulma squealed in excitement, actually having stood from her chair, "AMAZING!" she held out her hands like a four-year-old at an ice cream truck.

Gohan laughed, "Don't get that excited. The formula only has a 30% success rate..."

Bulma frowned, "But it does have success. We just have to figure out what goes on correctly, and then fix the variables."

Gohan shook his head at her behavior, but popped the capsule open on a cleared spot of her desk. His journal, the rings and a bag of seeds revealed themselves. He placed his hand over the top of the journal as Bulma reached for it, "I-uh..." it wasn't only scientific observations in there, and he didn't want her reading _everything_.

"Oh," Bulma forced her hand away, "Private stuff in there also?" Gohan nodded. "Well, then you'll have to transfer it as quickly as possible," she sat back down in her chair, checking something on her computer and copying it down to a piece of paper. Soon she held it out to Gohan, "This is your access I.D. and password to get into the mainframe," Bulma told him, "I know I probably don't have to tell you this..."

Gohan laughed before she could finish, "Don't let anyone else have my password?"

Bulma smiled, "Yeah," she held out her hand, and Gohan looked at it funny, "A shake?"

Gohan shook his head as he smiled and stood, "Come on Bulma," he said, opening his arms.

Bulma stood and gave him a brief, but strong hug, "Okay...so what else do we have here?" she said looking at the other objects.

Gohan blushed as he pulled the rings off of the table, "Don't want to talk about these..."

He was clearly uncomfortable with the matter, so Bulma shrugged, "Okay. What's in the bag?"

Gohan chuckled, "Seeds!"

One of Bulma's eyebrows rose at the giddiness detectable in Gohan's response, "Seeds?" she asked warily: if Gohan thought he was going to use Capsule Corporation for some sort of drug plant....

"They are grown as the major grain/flour crop on Vegeta-sei. I tell you Bulma, you haven't tasted anything, until you've tasted the pastry I happen to have the recipe for," he barely stopped himself from licking his lips in the memory.

Bulma shook her head, "Well, I do like sweet things once in a while," she grinned, "I may just get my mom in on the family business yet!"

Gohan laughed. If anyone would be able to duplicate the recipe or get the plants to grow, it would be Mrs. Briefs. "When do I get started?"

Bulma stepped to the door, "I'll show you where your new office is. I'll warn you though, there is no window with a view."

Gohan shrugged as he followed, "Not a problem. Oh! I almost forgot. I've also got the plans for a more efficient G.R...."

Bulma stopped, "Please, say you haven't told Vegeta yet..." if her husband knew, he'd hound her relentlessly until the G.R. had been upgraded, and she had a ton of other things going on at the moment.

Gohan shook his head, "No..."

"Okay. Let's keep that a surprise then, shall we?" she whispered conspiratorially.

"Sure thing...Boss," Gohan responded mischievously.

~o0o~~o0o~

Kakarott stood behind Vegeta closely as the armored vehicles of the king's army approached closer. His white outfit with blue sash made him a very noticeable target. Not that these soldiers posed much of a threat, but he wouldn't be ascending, out here, unless _absolutely_ necessary. However, Prince Vegeta _was_ in his ascended state, and Kakarott was having a _very_ difficult time keeping his hands off of his mate.

The vehicles began to slow as someone within scouting range spotted them. Moments later they had come to a complete halt. Prince Vegeta stepped forward in the resulting stillness, walking at a leisurely pace. His coloring proclaimed a Legendary, and even if most of these second and third class soldiers did not know him as their prince, they would give him a wide berth and respect because of his ascension.

Sayians stared at them as they passed, noise building in their wake as the people began to gossip and theorize about the unexpected. They weren't even halfway through the troops when General Nappa came with apparent haste towards them. The hulking sayian stopped short: apparently whatever his orders had been, were in need of revision, "Prince Vegeta," he said, placing one fist over his heart and bowing deep.

"General Nappa. Please lead us to the King's location," Vegeta stated calmly.

"Yes, Your Highness," again with another bow before turning on heel and heading back to the rear of the army.

"So far, so good," Kakarott whispered.

Vegeta smiled faintly, "Don't expect it all to be easy. Keep your guard up. It's not the common soldiers we have to worry about," Vegeta whispered over his shoulder, and Kakarott nodded in understanding, eyes scanning their surroundings more cautiously.

~o0o~

With a considerable groan, Radditz sat up. He rubbed his neck while glaring at the comforter still covering his legs. Someone, he concluded, had tried to knock some sense into him.

The Commander growled: what a wonderful way for them to show concern. He shifted his legs over the edge of the mattress and stood, wobbling a little before he caught his balance with a hand on the wall, "Fuckers," he took a steadying breath, but dared not close his eyes. The room was spinning as it was. Someone was going to pay.

With the aid of the wall he managed to make it to the hallway from his room. It became more obvious what a number someone had done to him when he came to the entrance of what had been the kid's room, rather than the stair well. Thoughts came slowly as he stared into the empty room.

Why? Why had he thought he would ever be the type to bond another?

His brother: the thought was almost a curse. Kakarott and his example of a perfect bond, teasing him with the concept of a perfect match, the idea mere mortals could have something so perfect....

Radditz snarled at his thoughts, pushing him momentarily away from the spiral, but the gravity of it was quick to draw him back.

He had thought Gohan had completed him, like Vegeta completed his brother: how utterly idiotic. He'd been a decisive fool, to convince himself he was worthy of someone so close to godhood.

And then, he'd been shown a complete moron, when reality smacked him a good one, waving the fact Gohan, his ideal mate, was his _nephew_...He'd been fucking his own kin.

Radditz stared into the empty room. With its single desk and small bed, it still wasn't as empty as his heart. _His_ scent still lingered here, "I want you back," he whispered. Let the universe be shocked at his depravity: he didn't care. If his brother were the perfect example, then let him be the perverse one: he wanted Gohan back!

Yet the awful truth still echoed.

'He's not coming back.'

Too weak to keep him, too weak to will him back...Radditz snarled at the realization he was utterly fucking useless.

 

"No," he shook his head. He'd prove himself. He wasn't too weak to confront another. He was a warrior, and he'd prove his metal as such going out the only proper way a warrior should.

Fighting the enemy they'd been training to fight for the last six weeks.

~o0o~~o0o~

Someone cleared their throat at the entrance of his office, and Gohan shook off his thoughts, smiling apologetically as he'd been caught with his mind wandering, again. He looked up and more embarrassment hit him when he realized it was Vegeta standing at his door, his arms crossed over his chest, and an unreadable look over his features.

"Well?" the sayian asked.

Gohan stood, "Bulma's managed to get the formula yields to 55 percent. I think we can afford to use one dose for a tail to be regenerated," he froze as Vegeta slowly smiled. It was an unusual look on the sayian's face, and would have made even the securest person uncomfortable: and Gohan wasn't the most secure person right now. "I did tell you this was going to be painful, didn't I?"

Vegeta nodded, "Stop stalling, brat," his patience had grown thin over the last couple of weeks.

"Okay," he walked over to another doorway leading away from his office and opened it to reveal his lab: certainly nothing as big as the west lab, but large all the same, especially when he was mostly working by himself.

White boards on rollers and walls were covered in multi-colored, theory equations. Vegeta recognized some of the writing as Bulma's, and assumed the other sort of scribble was Gohan's. He sneered: the two of them had been monopolizing each other's time. One of his eyebrows rose at a set of equations they walked past. If he weren't mistaken, he'd seen similar schematics and notations when the woman was working on improvements for the G.R.

"If you'll lay face down on the table please," Gohan said. He supposed they should have been using one of the medical labs for this...he shrugged, "Oh, and I'll need you to bare your tail..." he hesitated in calling it a scar. He'd learned, after having talked about this moment with the sayian, that Vegeta still had a bit of a stub left, not the scar he was used to on the others.

Vegeta got on the table, knelt while he pulled his pants down far enough for his tail to be free, and then laid down on his stomach. He watched as Gohan hesitated.

Gohan inspected the situation, and realized just a simple slice was not going to be possible. He gulped, "You sure you don't want my dad here?"

"Why would I want Kakarott here?" Vegeta growled: he didn't need the baka here to try and stop him from gaining his tail back. If the other wanted to pretend he was something he wasn't, Vegeta was to the point he was willing to let him, "He'd only try to stop us."

Gohan took in a steadying breath, "Okay. I have to go get something else. A scalpel isn't going to work for this," and he went in search of a more appropriate tool.

Vegeta sighed, bringing his arms up to pillow his face from the table. Moments later he heard Gohan coming back, he hoped with the right equipment this time.

Gohan ran ki sparked fingers over the scissoring blades of the bolt cutters to sterilize them. He grimaced: this was _not_ the best thought out plan in the world...He placed them on the table besides Vegeta, "Okay, I don't know if it has to go this way, but I do remember the order that happened when I got mine back: this means..." he was interrupted.

Vegeta had heard all of this before: repeatedly, "This means you have to inject me first, which you are constantly warning me will hurt, and then add the injury for the formula to recognize something that needs to be healed."

Gohan shook his head still feeling Vegeta didn't understand as well as he should. He sighed as he picked up the syringe, "Lower your ki please," he asked of Vegeta. He waited as he felt the sayian's energy dwindling to almost nothing, set the tip of the needle at the base of Vegeta's tail, and then pressed the titanium through.

Vegeta held still, a mere twitch the only indication of the sensation he was feeling, a small growl was the only admission of his discomfort as Gohan began sending the fluid into his body near such sensitive nerve endings. So focused was he on his pride, and not letting the sting show, that he wasn't ready for the white-hot flash of pain as Gohan caused him intentional injury.

Gohan dropped the cutters to the floor, covering his ears at Vegeta's surprised howl. He took his hands away to ward the other off as Vegeta sprang from the table and attacked him, "I tried to tell you...Oh, shit," he realized Vegeta wasn't actually aware of his actions: he'd gone into shock, and was lashing out blindly.

Gohan managed to evade the second onslaught, flowing around Vegeta's punch, getting behind him and putting him face first into the cement floor before straddling his back. He recognized this wasn't the best move as Vegeta almost managed to buck his weight off: he groped for Vegeta's wrists, pulling the sayian's arms behind his back. If Vegeta had full control over his body, instead of fighting both the pain and him, Gohan knew this hold wouldn't work. Then Vegeta collapsed beneath him, panting, before growling, "Vegeta?" more growling, and then a tortured scream, "Vegeta!" He felt something whip against his back, and turned, just in time to see a fist coming at his head. The shock of impact, and then nothing but darkness...for how long he didn't know, before he was sitting up, blinking the stars from his sight, trying to get a reading on where that third person was....

"Kakarott, I am fine!" Vegeta's voice told him who had shown up.

"You didn't sound fine," his father's voice rumbled, an odd mix of concern and, of all things, irritation.

"Oh, god...Kakarott, stop touching it!" pleasure, poorly masked by annoyance, turning into a hiss...

"Did you have to hit me?" Gohan spoke as his sight came more in focus, and he could make out a blur of two people instead of just bleeding, blurring colors.

"He thought you were hurting me," Vegeta growled, "I said, drop it!" Vegeta was concerned that if the moron didn't stop touching his tail, he was going to start purring. He hadn't known the other sayian had such gentle hands....

Goku pulled his hands away as Vegeta actually gnashed at him.

"Well, I was hurting you," Gohan said, taking another deep breath, the spinning was slowing...thank goodness.

"You were only doing as I asked," Vegeta was having a terrible time with his pants: they kept wanting to slip off his hips because he hadn't had the foresight to cut a whole for the tail he _knew_ would be a result of this, and he couldn't pull them up far enough at the moment.

"You did all of this...just to have your tail back?" Gohan heard his father's tenor ask, incredulous, "You're insane!"

"What would you know, Kakarott?" Vegeta spat, "You wouldn't want your tail back, because it would remind you you're sayian."

Gohan heard his father growl, "You're right, Vegeta, I wouldn't want it back, not if... Heeeeey!"

Gohan's sight came back in time for him to see Vegeta actually smack his father in the face with his new tail, "Okay...take this out of my lab," just the struggle, and his obvious flight path, had made a mess of the lab. He realized with horror he was using the base of the time machine frame to lever himself up: his father had almost sent him through it.

"Where you going?" Goku asked as Vegeta started to leave, one hand holding his pants up.

"Away from here: away from you. Why did you show up anyway?" Vegeta didn't even look back, tail waving low and erratic.

"Your ki dropped really low, and then spiked really high," Goku explained.

A growl from the door, "Do you two mind?"

Gohan looked up from picking papers off of the floor to see Trunks and Goten staring in, both of them taking questionable shelter from the doorway as they peeked in from the hallway. Vegeta was very annoyed, as could be told from the tone of his voice, but his trying to keep his pants up was not helping him keep his dignity.

The two younger demis backed away from the door, letting the sayians pass: Goku following Vegeta despite the sayian's expressed desire to have a moment to himself, "What if I did want mine back?" Gohan could hear his father's voice carry from the hallway, "Do you want me to burn a hole for your tail?"

"No! Keep your hands off of my pants... Then I suggest you go back and ask Gohan for a shot," Vegeta's answer carried, but not as well.

"You mean..." Goku's voice was a little more hesitant.

"Yes, Kakarott, I mean you'd have to let him stick you with a needle."

"Oh" and that seemed to settle the conversation... at least for the moment.

Gohan looked up at his brother and Trunks, "Either of you going to help me clean up? Or just going to stare?"

Goten looked at Trunks: Trunks looked back before looking down the hallway, at something...or rather someone. An absolutely evil smile crept over his face, "I am going to go and see what happens," and he disappeared from Gohan's sight.

"And...um...I am going to make sure he doesn't help escalate things," Goten gave his brother an apologetic smile.

Gohan grinned back, despite the extra work this had created, "Just give me any juicy details," he whispered conspiratorially.

Goten's chuckle floated back to him from the hallway.

~o0o~

Vegeta's tail lashed in agitation as he powered the G.R. down. Someone had interrupted his training, _again_. However, he was a bit surprised at who stood at his doorstep.

"Hello, Vegeta," Mrs. Briefs greeted as soon as the door opened. She moved in past him with a basket full of weeds.

"What are you doing woman?" Vegeta asked quietly. He had always had a soft spot for this woman, and her crazy ways.

"Did no one tell you?" Bunni asked as she set the basket down in the middle of the floor.

Vegeta's tail stilled: her basket was leaking mud all over his floor. "No" he grunted and stepped back as a Capsule Corp employee followed her in with a couple of wooden boards, "What the..." he hesitated in cursing in front of the elder.

"Well, these are the plants Gohan brought back are from your home world," Bunni smiled, "They are having a difficult time structuring under Earth's gravity."

"I don't see why..." Vegeta started, but Mrs. Briefs, in her odd way, was able to interrupt him any time she chose.

"So, they need to be grown in gravity they were made for," Bunni turned to the employee, "You can set those down over there," she instructed.

Vegeta found his fists clenching. He may, for unknown reasons even to him, be fond of this human, but she was invading his space, "Don't put those down." The employee was quick to stand back up with his heavy burden still on his shoulders: everyone was afraid of Bulma's husband.

"Don't be silly, Vegeta," Bunni argued, "Go ahead, set them down."

Vegeta could feel his eyelid twitching, and now his tail was moving again, "Woman..." he growled.

Bunni turned to him with her ever-present smile, "Vegeta, why don't you go see my daughter? She was the one who said we could use this facility for this project."

Vegeta's eyes narrowed, he wrapped his tail around his waist before growling and exiting.

"You can go ahead and put those down now," he heard the elder's voice instruct the employee again as he stalked towards his home, every intention of asking Bulma what the hell she thought she was doing. He was so focused on his destination he almost didn't realize Bulma was on the surface. He changed directions, people making themselves scarce when they noticed him, in that mood, headed their way.

"Um...Mrs. Briefs," Stacy tried to get her bosses attention as she noticed the terror of Capsule Corp coming towards them, "Mrs. Briefs!" she said with more urgency when her boss kept talking and explaining things to those around her.

Bulma finally turned as Stacy tugged on her sleeve. She smiled, "Alright, everyone may go now."

"Woman!" Vegeta growled, as he noticed employees scatter; cowards.

"Yes, Vegeta?" Bulma asked. Gohan waved at them from across the yard.

"Your mother has gone insane, and is planting weeds in my G.R.!"

"What would like me to do about it?" Bulma asked.

"Tell her no," Vegeta stated, crossing his arms over his chest. He was going to destroy something...soon, "GAH!" he spun as he felt Kakarott's ki pop up.

"Hi Vegeta," Goku stalled, as he noticed Vegeta's eyelid actually twitch.

"Gohan, go ahead! I don't think he can take much more teasing," Bulma cupped her hands and shouted across the yard.

Gohan nodded. He couldn't believe Bulma had suggested what she had _and_ that Mrs. Briefs had done it, and survived. He popped the capsule, and tossed it into the open space between them.

"What?" Vegeta barely asked before he turned as a capsule's expansion noise caught his attention. His tail dropped as his jaw did. Another, bigger, G.R. stood in his sight.

"Gohan says it has 25 percent more efficiency, and can go 100 times gravity higher than the old model," Bulma grinned widely. It wasn't often she was able to surprise her husband frozen _and_ speechless.

A moment passed, then another. Bulma began to doubt...maybe making this into a surprise wasn't such a good plan. She looked at worriedly at her long time friend.

Goku caught the look, and nodded, clapping a hand on Vegeta's shoulder, who barely flinched at the contact, "Want to go and test it out? Gohan says we can _both_ ascend to super sayian in that thing, and it will contain us."

Vegeta's face turned slowly towards him, "You knew?" was asked quietly.

Goku scratched the back of his head, "Well, only for the last week. They were afraid if I knew any sooner, I wouldn't be able to keep quiet about it," he chuckled: they were correct. He'd been staying away more so than usual this past week because he had been having a difficult time keeping this surprise from the other sayian. He couldn't imagine having kept this secret from Vegeta for eight months: he was probably just as excited about it as the other sayian, even if it didn't belong to him. Who else would Vegeta find to put the new model to the test?

Vegeta turned his attention back to the newest G.R. So, the elder _was_ going to be planting plants in his old one. Then a smile spread across his face: that was the old one, "Let's go see, Kakarott."

Bulma shook her head as she was all but forgotten. She turned as she heard a tiny meow from behind her, "I see it went over well," Dr. Briefs addressed his daughter. He put his pipe back in his mouth and patted Scratches' head.

Bulma nodded, "Yeah, Dad, it did," she smiled proudly, "Now to go and make the adjustments to the old one so we can raise and lower the gravity field from the outside."

~o0o~

"I think we need scouts, or drones...or something," Gohan paced in front of a white board with Bulma as his only audience currently.

Bulma shifted her weight, happy she had chosen to wear comfortable clothes instead of her normal, workweek, business attire, "What for?"

"Well, we know what's going to happen in the recent past, and what dates to avoid," Gohan started.

"Yes, but it isn't the current past I am interested in investigating," Bulma interrupted.

"Exactly. We have approximate dates, and things going on around them, but we don't know for certain things happened exactly like the history books say," Gohan stopped, chewing on the capped end of the white board marker he had in his hand.

"Which is certainly something I am interested in correcting, if corrections need to happen," Bulma smiled excitedly.

Gohan nodded, "But what about those times when there isn't human recorded history? How are we supposed to know to avoid a meteor impact? Or something else?"

"So you want something to send back ahead of the scientist: like a probe," Bulma stated, nodding, "That's rather brilliant. I would have just gone or sent someone head on into the past without worrying about it," she smiled, slightly embarrassed: her love of adventure _had_ gotten her into trouble in the past, she shouldn't be so quick to throw someone else into the chaos she thought of as nothing more than a challenge.

"Exactly. Then, if we want, we could also send the probes forward, into times we have no way of knowing what is happening," Gohan popped the cap off of the pen, and bent to write something on the board.

"Okay, you've sold me on needing these things. How much is it going to cost the company?" Bulma asked. This project, if it didn't pay off, was sucking up a lot of funds. Thankfully, Capsule Corp was family owned, but some of the higher up employees were starting to express concern about where the benefit from _this_ project would place its importance in the company: some obvious money makers were being put on the back burner for this. And even if it were a family owned business, there were times they brought in investors; not so much for the money, but the propaganda aspects of collaborated projects. Bulma hadn't told anyone this was a time machine project: she thought it best to keep that knowledge to a minimum.

"I don't know," Gohan sighed as he pulled away from the board, "I was planning on building it off of scouter technology, but then I remembered all access we had to scouters has been destroyed."

"You didn't take notes?" Bulma fidgeted a little; she had learned Gohan had a selective photographic memory: mostly for fighting techniques. As far as schematics and formulas, he either had to make a conscious decision to memorize it, or take notes.

"I was hoping you would remember..." Gohan sighed as Bulma shook her head.

"I can tell you what I saw when I made adjustments, but I never actually got in and pulled the thing apart. It exploded before I was able to," she pursed her lips, "Hmmmmm. You know, you might ask Vegeta," she continued as Gohan turned his full attention to her, "Just a guess, but they had to know some repair stuff if they were on long purging missions, and wouldn't have access to ship facilities."

Gohan grinned, wrapping his arms around her in a surprise hug, "Great thinking, Bulma," he let go as there was a cleared throat from the doorway.

"I see," Vegeta stated as he looked in; he was beginning to think, if he wanted any time with his woman, he was going to have to tie Gohan down in the same room as them. The hug was really nothing: Vegeta understood Gohan held no interest in anyone that way....

"Speak of the devil," Bulma smiled and winked before turning around.

"How many times have I had to tell you? This 'devil' wouldn't stand a chance against me, and I am not him," Vegeta acted snubbed, but the twitch of his tail tip told Gohan the sayian was trying to be funny: and apparently Bulma realized this.

"I know, I know, he's afraid you would take over," Bulma smiled, "We were talking about scouters."

Vegeta frowned, "Why? The technology is obsolete..."

"If you are there physically. What if you wanted to send it ahead of you? And bring data back?" Bulma asked, and Gohan let her take the lead in this.

"Like a spy probe?" Vegeta thought about it and nodded, "Yes, I can see how that would be of benefit, but the model I was used to doesn't function on its own."

"Oh, I already have that figured out," Gohan said, tapping the board with his pen, "What I need is anything you can remember about scouter construction," he walked over and pointed to another white board, "This is what I can remember," he said.

Both Bulma and Vegeta moved closer, "That's mostly what I know also," Bulma concluded.

Vegeta grunted, taking a pen from the tray at the bottom of the board, shaking his head, and marking over some of Gohan's equations, "This is different."

Bulma and Gohan stepped back, both smiling quietly at each other as they watched Vegeta's scribble, tail looping and unlooping around his knee as he thought. Bulma looked closer at the board, "Wait...I can't read that..."

"I can," Gohan said, realizing he'd automatically translated Vegeta's figures.

"Well, I guess that's all that really matters, for now," Bulma sighed, "I want it translated though, when you guys are done."

Gohan nodded.

~o0o~~o0o~

"General Nappa, please inform my father I am here," Prince Vegeta stopped.

"You're not going..." Nappa started to question.

"No, he can come out to meet me," Vegeta informed the general. A public meeting would be of more benefit for Kakarott and himself, than a meeting in a private setting.

Nappa bowed and headed for a particular formation of vehicles. Kakarott finally spoke, "You're sure?"

Vegeta turned to his mate. He wanted nothing more than to rub it in everyone's face right now and kiss Kakarott...he smirked, what he had going on in his head was absolutely pornographic. Vegeta found humor in the thought of rendering the sayian army useless with lust.

"Hello? Vegeta?" Kakarott waved his hand in front of Vegeta's face.

The prince shuddered as he came out of his daydream, "Sorry. It's been a couple of days..."

Kakarott snorted; Vegeta was exaggerating, but he understood, "I know."

"All the more reason to get this done with, quickly," Vegeta sighed and turned his attention back in the direction Nappa had disappeared to. People were starting to motivate: yet they were still taking too damned long for the prince's liking.

Moments later a group broke apart from the rest, badges and seals informed Vegeta who was coming, "Okay Kakarott. Almost your turn."

"Vegeta!" they both heard the king's voice bark, "I see you've finally come to your senses..."

Vegeta growled: the king was so preoccupied with having him under hand he hadn't noticed the ascension...or he was doing a good job of trying to piss him off, "Come to my senses?" he questioned, just to turn the tables, "I never lost them."

"Then you are still obsessed with that fool of a concubine..." the king went into a tirade, but Vegeta hardly noticed. What he did notice was several people beginning to wonder what the hell the army was doing out here, for something that was obviously a personal, family squabble.

Vegeta kept the smirk off of his face: he couldn't have done a better job of showing what an idiot his father was being if he had tried, "I am, and will always be, obsessed with him. He is my bonded mate," Vegeta pulled the collar of his shirt open in order to bare his marks, and the crowd was thrown into even more confusion.

The king roared his disapproval, "You, you think because you are ascended you can do what ever you want?"

Vegeta frowned, "No..."

"How long will it be before someone is able to kill you by killing your lesser mate?" the king's question was not only aimed at his son, but the army, and therefore people, in general, "No matter how strong you have become, you can not expect the people to put themselves in such a precarious position by having a _king_ ," King Vejita spat, "Who..."

Kakarott noticed Vegeta beckon to him, and he moved forward, causing the king to stop his rant as he, and several others, noticed the colors he wore, "I do _not_ have a lesser mate," Vegeta hissed. Then he turned to Kakarott, "This is it," he whispered.

Kakarott nodded, taking a deep breath, "I have come to complete my challenge..." he started in a clear, carrying voice.

The king laughed, "You are 10 months early, fool!"

Kakarott's chin lowered, and he growled, " _I_ am not the fool..."

Vegeta broke in, "Don't let him get to you. Follow the rite," he instructed quietly.

Kakarott took another breath, "I have come to complete my challenge of my birth class," he managed to finish this time, "In presence of King and council..." he was interrupted again.

King Vejita barked another mocking laugh, "There is no council here!" he smirked, even if he had to get his point across on a technicality...

"I am here," Councilman Jerosh came to the fore, despite the glare his king gave him.

"As am I," another council member clambered down from one of the army vehicles.

"I am a Council member," Vegeta spoke up, and smirked at his father.

"And I," General Nappa stepped forward.

One of Vegeta's eyebrows rose at that: he had thought General Nappa nothing more than his father's well trained guard dog, and hadn't expected the man to step forward in situation that would go directly against the king's obvious wishes.

"Kakarott, please continue," Councilman Jerosh nodded his acknowledgement of the others. He seemed somewhat embarrassed by the king's wordless fit.

"Not of first class," he growled as the king's insane laughter came across clear, "But of elite," and he started gathering energy to him. Vegeta had instructed to make this calm. The prince wanted people inspired and awed, not terrified: terrified people did rash things.

"General Nappa, is your scouter still functioning?" Councilman Jerosh asked.

"Yes, sir," Nappa turned his scouter on, watching the data, "He is indeed already first class..."

"And?"

"His power is still rising," Vegeta couldn't tell if General Nappa actually sounded smug about that or not.

The scouter blipped at the General, and Nappa frowned, "Elite, and still rising..."

"May I suggest you turn the scouter off, General?" Vegeta asked. He had ascended, and then lowered his ki, but Kakarott's ki spike before he could do that would destroy the machine.

Nappa gave the prince a curious look, but did as suggested, and several of the other on lookers did the same.

Kakarott grit his teeth, and closed his eyes, tension in the tendons of his neck showing as he threw his head back. Doing this so slowly was almost unbearable: not with pain, but with feeling the power come to him, it made him giddy...almost insane. "Vegeta," he barely mumbled, ~ _I am not going to be able to do this without a shockwave,_ ~ he warned his mate.

"Step back!" Vegeta ordered, throwing up a barrier around himself and Kakarott, trying to guard the crowd.

As soon as Kakarott felt the danger to everyone else gone, his head snapped forward as he yelled, eyes turning piercing blue, hair waving brilliant gold.

Many in the crowd gapped at them, not knowing what to think about two Legendaries, in the same generation, _and_ being bonded.

The king's ramblings had quieted, but he was starting to show signs of growing faint, or having a seizure. The king's reactions were over looked by the chorus of concern people in the area started to express, and Vegeta congratulated himself on coaching Kakarott to do this with as little dramatics as possible: it was fun to roar and go all golden, but that would have sent most of these people running with their tails between their legs, and not have endeared them to their cause.

Prince Vegeta dropped the barrier, and addressed the General and other Councilmen, "This is not all for show. There is a great danger heading for our planet..." he was interrupted as several scouters warmed up at once. Vegeta could hear someone's excited voice coming through over Nappa's earpiece.

Nappa frowned, "Acknowledged," he looked up at his prince, and then to his raving king, "I don't know how, but you did know this was coming? There is a ship at our atmosphere demanding our surrender."

Vegeta closed his eyes and then he held out his hand, "Give me have your scouter," he asked of the General, and Nappa handed it over.

"This is Prince Vegeta. Open a link to the enemy ship," Vegeta demanded once he had the scouter fitted over his head.

"This is Prince Vegeta," Vegeta announced himself again, this time to the ship hovering in their atmosphere. He had felt the presence of the other for days, although unable to pinpoint his exact location, "I regret to inform you," he looked over where Councilman Jerosh was overseeing the sedation of his father, "The king is indisposed at the moment, and you will be negotiating with me," he glanced over at his mate as the lunatic on the other end made a silly demand, and made an upward gesture with his hand.

Kakarott began to raise his ki. Prince Vegeta smirked, just as Gohan had said, this loon, Brolli, would not be able to resist the temptation of fighting his mate.

"One hour," Vegeta agreed, "Repeat the location," he clicked the record button on the scouter, "Looking forward to it," he waited until the other had closed the link before taking the scouter off and handing it back to Nappa. If they needed a rescue mission, Nappa now had the coordinates of where they were going to be.

He turned back to Kakarott, "Ready?"

Kakarott shook his head in disbelief. Everything was happening one right after another, "I was hoping for a breather," he said sadly before nodding.

Vegeta turned back to Nappa, "You are in charge of the army while I am away," he beaconed to Councilman Jerosh, "There may be a chance I might not be coming back," he warned the other two very seriously.

Nappa and Jerosh looked at each other, and then at the king, "What..." Nappa began.

Vegeta interrupted, "If that happens, do not fight this sayian. This is more of a fight for the throne than either of you know. If I am defeated, and my father does not pull it together," Vegeta sighed, "Then..." he flinched as Jerosh put a hand to his shoulder.

"Don't make us do that," the Councilman said, "But...I know what to do, if that happens."

Vegeta nodded, closing his eyes, turning, and then taking off for the coordinates the enemy had indicated, Kakarott following quickly after.

~o0o~~o0o~

Gohan sighed as he signed the bottom line. Videl hadn't made this whole divorce process hell, but she sure had dragged it out for as long as possible. Gohan couldn't tell if she had done so for spite, or for some lingering hope he would change his mind.

Either way, a year and two months after having been wished back to Earth, she sat quietly and stoned face in the chair next to him. Bulma had done or said something that had changed Videl's mind about taking this to court, so it was just a notary, a lawyer, and the two of them. Pan was sitting outside the office in a waiting room...somewhere.

"I will take these to a judge to process. You should both hear back from me in a week," the man stood, almost held out his hand for it to be shaken, realized the situation, and left instead. The notary, feeling the tension in the room, followed after him quickly.

Gohan sat back, not certain what, if anything should be said in a moment like this. He was saved from making more of an ass out of himself as Videl simply stood and walked out. He pressed his hands against his face and gave a tired sigh: he seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

"Daddy?" he quickly looked up as he heard is daughter's voice.

"Hi honey," he said with a tired smile.

Pan crossed the threshold, "Mom says we are going away for a while..."

Gohan sighed again. He hadn't really known what Videl's plans were, but he sort of figured they would be something along these lines. "Okay. Come here," he requested. He frowned as Pan sat in the chair her mother had been sitting in moments before, "You know I am not mad at you, right?"

Pan shook her head: she still couldn't believe her dad wasn't, "It wasn't very nice, what I did..." she began. They'd had this discussion before, but her father never tried to punish her, or got angry with her, like she thought he should. Maybe his staying away from her was a sort of punishment?

"Things happened. I got to learn more about Vegeta-sei and myself than I ever thought possible. I wouldn't give up that experience," Gohan told Pan with a sad, little smile.

"Okay," Pan finally caved. If her dad said he was okay with this...she hopped down from her chair and gave him a strong hug, "I am going to miss you."

Gohan ran a hand over his daughter's bandana and chuckled, "Yeah, but, you do know, if you need to, you can always come and see me?"

Pan smirked, "Like Mom could stop me."

"Just choose your moments wisely, okay?" Gohan requested of his daughter, squeezing her tight after she nodded her understanding. "I'll see you later, Pan," he said as she stepped away, "I love you." His daughter stopped and waved from the doorway, before heading out of the office.

~o0o~

Gohan took a break from his calculations to look at his watch: the probe should have been back with data by now. He sighed, putting the pencil he held down. If he couldn't get them to come back, then there was no way of knowing....

"I think this belongs to you," Vegeta's voice held some amusement.

Gohan turned, took a look at what was in the sayian's hand and cringed, "Yeah," he sighed as he stood and walked over to Vegeta, inspecting the barely recognizable piece of machinery, "What happened?"

"Buzzed in while I was shooting drones. Maybe you ought to pick a less-likely to kill target?" Vegeta suggested as he dropped the machine into Gohan's outstretched hand.

"Actually, I was hoping if I picked a target that knew what it was, it _wouldn't_ get destroyed," Gohan gave Vegeta a slightly crooked grin.

Vegeta shrugged, rolling a shoulder, "It's pretty loud upon entry. You may want to fix that."

"Dang it," Gohan cursed as he spread the probes remains out on the table, picking at them sadly. He shifted uncomfortably as he felt a hand placed on his shoulder.

"You should take a break," Vegeta told Gohan, "It's not good for you to sit underground all day...and night."

Gohan nodded, "Yeah. Maybe I should go see Goten..."

Vegeta frowned, "I was hoping you'd be willing to spar. Shooting drones gets boring."

"I thought you and Dad..."

"Something's scared your father off again," Vegeta's frown held out a little longer, but then a smirk crept over his features.

"What did you do?" Gohan asked with suspicion.

Vegeta shrugged, "I didn't do anything," he laughed when Gohan gave him a 'sure you didn't' look, "I think it's tail envy, and he hasn't got the balls to let you stick him with a needle," Vegeta looked smug, "yet."

Gohan shook his head, but he believed that story, "Okay, give me five minutes to get changed, and I'll meet you at the G.R." he requested.

Vegeta nodded before turning and walking from the lab, tail twitching in anticipation of a good fight.

~o0o~

Chichi shook her head. She had been watching Goku intermittently from the window above the kitchen sink for almost two hours. As happy as she was that he was here, helping with chores like chopping wood and hanging laundry, she knew this wasn't healthy behavior for him.

She watched as he actually blew his bangs up from his forehead with the air from another great sigh while he sat on the chopping block, his chin set on the knuckles of hands he had curled up in fists, as he stared down at nothing.

Chichi took her apron off and set it aside before stepping out the back door.

~o0o~

Goku sighed. It seemed Vegeta had managed to get Gohan to spar with him. He'd been supervising their kis as the spar progressed. He was comparing it to how short of a spar the last he'd had with Vegeta had been when he lifted his head as he heard the back screen door open and then swing shut.

"Goku-sa," Chichi called out to her husband.

"Yeah Chi?" Goku asked, hoping she might have something for him to do to distract himself.

"Why don't you just go and ask him to spar," Chichi put her hands on her hips.

Goku gave his wife a curious look, "What?"

"I said, why don't you just go pick a fight with that bastard or something," Chichi rephrased her suggestion.

"Chi?" Goku couldn't believe the words coming out of his wife's mouth.

"You're moping," Chichi pointed in her husband's direction.

"I was med..."

Chichi interrupted Goku before he could convince himself of what he had or had not been doing, "You were moping, Goku."

"Aren't you happy to have me here?" Goku almost whined in confusion.

"Goku, I am happy to have you here, when you are happy to be here, and up until a couple of hours ago, that's almost been two weeks," Chichi shook her head, "Go spar. You'll be happier when you come back, and I'll be happier knowing you had fun."

"Can I go fishing instead?" Goku asked: as much as he'd like to go see Vegeta, something about the other sayian had started to bug him recently. Goku couldn't quite pin point what that 'thing' was, but he was fairly certain it had something to do with the other sayian's tail. Vegeta wasn't keeping it to himself as much any more...

Chichi pursed her lips, "Well, if you think that will make you happy..."

"Okay," Goku stood away from the chopping block and started walking towards the nearest lake.

Chichi shook her head as her husband showed a definite lack of enthusiasm for the pastime, "No moping!" she encouraged to his back.

Goku shrugged.

~o0o~

The spar had started out well. Gohan enjoyed the extra weight on his shoulders as Vegeta turned the gravity up. He relished the exercise of putting his body through the motions of blocking and striking. The smell of sweat and exertion....

He had no idea how he ended up on his back, panting and growling with Vegeta clutched betweens his legs, "Gohan," Vegeta panted down at him, an exceedingly shocked look on his face, "You should let go, kid."

Gohan's growl was cut off as he swallowed, watching sweat drip off of Vegeta's chin, letting it hit his lips before licking it off. It didn't taste quite as good as what he remembered Radditz tasting like, but it was still nice...He whined as his hand moved forward, barely touching Vegeta's chest.

"Look, Gohan, as flattered as I am that you think I can fuck _and_ fight you," Vegeta started, "We both know I won't," he gasped and then growled as Gohan's tail tried to twine with his.

"It's been so long," Gohan whispered, levering himself up enough with his arms to lick at Vegeta's neck, "I-I can't even masturbate without thinking of him..." it'd been three fucking years, damn it! "Please?" He knew through extensive blood tests the hormone levels from the partial bond had faded...he just needed something else to focus on, he was certain of this...he hoped. Romantic notions of 'love ever lasting' were all fine and good...until you had balls the color of Earth's sky....

Vegeta growled again, clenching his eyes and turning his head away as it seemed Gohan was moving for his mouth, "Kid..."

"Don't call me that," Gohan kissed Vegeta's neck, and then his collarbone, " _He_ called me that," he explained before tilting his head further down.

Vegeta gasped and then snarled as Gohan looped his tail around his, and then ran the coil down. The sayian jerked away from the sensation, only to realize he was jerking in the direction he was supposed to be resisting, "Shall I call you _brat_?" he asked, hoping to get an angry response instead of this teasing.

Gohan chuckled as he cinched his legs tighter, "Other than 'kid' you can call me anything you'd like, for all I care. I just want to fuck," he nipped at Vegeta's training shirt while looking up at the other suggestively, leaned back onto the floor slowly before jerking his hips up just enough to know Vegeta wasn't as opposed to the idea as his stalling would suggest.

Vegeta grabbed one of Gohan's roaming hands and pinned it to the floor by the wrist. He did the same with the other a moment later, trying to gain some distance from the other by lifting away, only to have those strong legs keep him encircled. He grunted as Gohan managed to manipulate his hips into a simile of grinding.

Gohan watched Vegeta with avid eyes as the sayian struggled with himself on this one. He smirked, thinking he had won when Vegeta closed his eyes, a soft, needful groan passing his lips quietly: Gohan found the display quite attractive. The mood switched as Vegeta's eyes snapped open and glared down at him.

Vegeta had to believe the kid, brat...Gohan had no idea the torture he was putting him through: he had little interest in him other than his body's promise of what a good fuck would feel like. Yes, he and the woman still had sex, and he enjoyed their private closeness greatly, but he hadn't been able to pound her...like this sayian below him was suggesting.

Vegeta glared down at Gohan, the temptation the other offered as enraging as it was exciting, but it wasn't what either of them _really_ wanted. Then his focus shifted a to Gohan's shoulder. He gave no other warning before descending his lips to Gohan's bonding mark: he had to get the idea across to the other somehow.

Gohan's head snapped to the side, trying to protect the mark. He bit at Vegeta's ear, growling, and then rolled them until he was on top, struggling to get the other to stop before he caused real injury.

"See," Vegeta panted as he looked past Gohan's head to the ceiling, "This isn't going to work."

Gohan growled, and let go. He let tense muscles relax, his whole body settling over the other's, "There's got to be a way..."

"Not without fighting you for every move, and that's too much like rape for my tastes," Vegeta sighed, thinking he'd finally gotten the point across.

"If...if you didn't have to fight me?" Gohan asked, licking Vegeta's ear apologetically, "Then?"

Vegeta growled softly as Gohan kissed down his neck; the physical aspects of this prospect were tempting, "Maybe...How?" he jerked his head up as one of Gohan's hands led his to the kid's tail, shivering as the fur ran through the palm of his hand, "That won't work either..."

Gohan grumbled in disappointment, "Why?" he thought enough of his power would be siphoned off if Vegeta could keep hold of it...

Vegeta chuckled, shaking his head at his own thoughts, "There are some things I like to use both hands for."

Gohan grinned faintly into Vegeta's neck, "Pervert."

"MMmmmm," Vegeta didn't disagree.

Gohan sighed, thinking sadly how he was about to get up now, with the hard on from hell, and have to...wait, "Ki cuffs."

Vegeta stilled, "What?"

"The ki cuffs, from when I first came back," Gohan said, lifting his upper torso away from Vegeta, looking down at him seriously.

Vegeta ran his hands up Gohan's sides while deliberating, "You're sure?" he sighed as Gohan bit his bottom lip and nodded. "Okay."

~o0o~

Goku sat on the edge of the stream staring at his own reflection. He supposed he should be out there in the water, fishing like he told Chichi he was going to, but he was moping, and he couldn't seem to put the energy involved with that to anything else at the moment.

Other than the odd brook trout, the occasional weird ripple, and Gohan's and Vegeta's fluctuating kis...this was really _boring_. He wished he had brought a pole...or even had his tail. He smiled fondly, remembering how he would tie a string to his tail and use that for fishing instead....

He frowned. Gohan's ki had just taken a dramatic dive: so much so he couldn't detect it. Vegeta's was still being erratic. Last time he had felt something similar, Vegeta had gotten his tail back. What could they possibly be up to now?

~o0o~

Vegeta opened the cupboard he remembered Bulma pulling the ki cuffs out of. The hideous things sat in the darkness, looking so benign, waiting. The sayian took a deep breath and reached for them. He held them out to Gohan as he closed the cupboard doors.

Gohan took the shackles from Vegeta's hand. He grimaced, remembering why they had last been used, "I can't...I can't do this in here," he said, indicating the medical lab he'd been in for days upon his return to Earth.

Vegeta grunted his understanding, grabbing a bottle of some sort of gel with one hand, and then Gohan's with his other. He led them down the hallway, past a couple of lab doors before picking one at seeming random. He shut and locked the door after he had pulled Gohan in after him. He shook his head as Gohan was already taking his shirt off, having thrown the cuffs onto an island counter top. Vegeta set the bottle down and followed suit, gasping as the shirt came off and Gohan's mouth was suddenly seeming everywhere on his skin.

His eyes continued to watch as the kid...no, certainly _not_ kid, licked, bit and sucked at him with seductive talent and eager, messy noises. Much more so than he would have thought the lab rat capable of: and this was just his chest and stomach? What would it be like to have that mouth...he growled lustfully at the thought before purring as Gohan ran ki charged fingers over his tail. "Hnnnn, Gohan...stop," and regrettably the other did.

Gohan stepped back, smiling apologetically for his enthusiasm, before turning to grab the cuffs and holding them out to Vegeta, and then his wrists as the sayian emptied his hands.

Vegeta shook his head as he unbuckled one cuff, looped it over Gohan's wrist and then buckled it in place. He did the same with the other before switching them on, and having the catch the other as his ki was sucked away, and Gohan's knees buckled.

"Sorry, should have expected that," Gohan whispered in Vegeta's ear, and then kissed at it, sucking the rim of it into his mouth gently, running the tip of his tongue over the bit he had trapped in his mouth.

Vegeta closed his eyes, shuddering as he let himself feel...just physically...feel, "So good," he whispered and then groaned as Gohan chuckled and hummed his agreement. He growled, forcing the hem of Gohan's training pants down past his hips, trying to get the other to give him room to work, which seemed impossible when Gohan seemed determined to kiss over every square inch of his neck and shoulders. He shook his head and smiled when Gohan whined as he broke away long enough to sit the other up on the counter top, pull his tail - _gently_ \- from the hole in the back, and then strip them the rest of the way down his long legs. Gohan growled as he kicked his boots off, and Vegeta completed removing them, tossing them somewhere.

Gohan shifted off the counter, and ran his fingers along the hemline of Vegeta's pants before yelping as Vegeta spun him by the shoulder, and then pressed his upper body onto the chilly surface of the counter top. He heard a cap snap open, and then something cool was flooding over him as Vegeta's hot palm held in the middle of his shoulder blades continued to keep him still. A moment of nothing but slowly moving liquid had him guessing before gasping in surprise and then moaning in anticipation as he felt Vegeta press fingers against him. He panted as they were pressed in at a steady slow speed, ready for so much more, but unable to demand it from his current position.

Vegeta's tail lashed as he watched his fingers sink into the other. He bit his bottom lip as he felt Gohan's weak movements under his other hand, and let up, only to stare in fascination as Gohan worked over his fingers with obvious greed. He kicked off his boots as Gohan continued to work, chuckled as Gohan whined when he withdrew his digits long enough to strip his pants off, wipe his fingers relatively clean before grabbing the other's shoulder, pulling him to stand, turning him, and then picking him up by the hips and setting him back on the counter top.

Gohan grinned before laying back on the counter, gripping the ledges of it, one side in each hand, and then scooting his ass to the edge as he dug his heels into the same ledge.

Vegeta had one last second thought before he pressed into the others slicked entrance. He groaned as Gohan's back arched off of the counter top, knees of the other's legs coming down to hook over his hips.

He ran his finger tips heavily from Gohan's clavicle, down the center of his bowed chest, over the middle of the other's tight abs as Gohan whined before he rotated his hips to grind down on him. Vegeta placed his free hand at the small of Gohan's back as his other gripped around his cock, and then he pressed forward as he stroked.

Gohan's eyes opened in the direction of the wall behind him, but he saw nothing as his focus was drawn to Vegeta, inside him, and Vegeta, around him. He cried out as Vegeta pulled back and then pressed in again, that strong hand stroking down on him. "Oh...fuck yes," he groaned again at the wonderful sensations....

Vegeta grunted, pressed into the other again and then slid the hand on Gohan's lower back to between his shoulder blades, lifting him up and way from the counter top, chuckling quietly as Gohan cinched his legs around his hips, forearms settling over his shoulders loosely. He tilted his hips back before pressing up again, mouth attacking skin as he drove in and out of the other, Gohan's poignant cries driving him to frenzy desperation.

~o0o~

Goku wondered what the heck had possessed him to be curious about what these two were doing _again_. Every time he felt the need to check up on what they were doing, he became more shocked than the time before. When would he learn to not feel the need to investigate?

His ears heard nothing of his own depraved panting has Gohan's wanton cries filtered through the closed door with a slowly fogging window.

Goku groaned, running a hand through his hair, but his fingers became tangled with it instead of sliding through as he watched the powerful muscles of Vegeta's body _work_.

~o0o~

Vegeta growled low as he felt Kakarott's ki. If the moron chose to try to interfere with this...he didn't know what he would do, but it wouldn't be healthy for the idiot.

After a few moments, he realized Kakarott wasn't going to do anything drastic, but, what the fuck? Was he just going to stand there and watch? "Your father's here," Vegeta stilled for a moment and growled as Gohan reached a hand for his own cock.

Gohan opened his eyes, looking down at Vegeta, and then began jerking off, "I don't fucking care," he said tersely before throwing his head back crying out.

"Hnnnnn," Vegeta's fingers clutched tighter at Gohan's hips before lifting him up and bringing him down again. If the hypocrite wanted to watch, and Gohan had no concerns with it, Vegeta was more than willing to give Kakarott a show.

~o0o~

Goku wiped condensation from the window just in time to see semen splatter up Gohan's chest, watch as Vegeta's body locked up and then heard him roar. He dried the wetness from his hand on his pants, so close to his...and then watched as Vegeta began licking his Gohan's chest clean....

What the fuck was he doing?!

The reality of the fact he was peeping in on Vegeta and his _son_ tapped him softly on the shoulder before slamming him in the gut.

Goku brought two shaky fingers to his forehead.

~o0o~

Vegeta growled and chuckled as he licked and nipped Gohan messily, blending and swirling the different essences of sweat and cream together with his tongue before lapping them up. He hummed as he sucked the last spot he could reach while he still held the other, and then leaned Gohan gently back on the counter top, shuddering as Gohan shivered at making contact with the cool, flat surface. He withdrew slowly, before finishing clean up detail as Gohan groaned and jerked slightly in reaction.

Vegeta traced a fingernail up one side of Gohan's abs as he stood and watched the lab rat slowly come back to his senses.

It took Gohan a moment to realize Vegeta was staring at him. He smiled tiredly, though happily, when the other sayian finally caught his eyes. He held out his wrists, and Vegeta switched the cuffs off before unbuckling the ki suppressors. He groaned in protest as Vegeta lifted him up to a sitting position with a tug at his arms.

"Showers?" Vegeta asked.

"Yeah, I guess," Gohan stated as he slid down from the counter top, grimacing as his bare feet touched the cold concrete of the floor.

~o0o~

Chichi had just pulled a sheet down from the line when Goku appeared on the other side, looking quite frazzled, "You okay?"

She watched as her husband's face burned red, and then blanched white, and he started moving his arms with jerky movements, "Vegeta," he made an odd gesture, "Gohan..." in a shaky voice, adding another disjointed movement.

Chichi frowned at him, "Is Gohan okay?"

Goku gulped and nodded, "But...but..."

Chichi began folding the sheet, "Well, as long as Vegeta didn't hurt him...I suppose you found them having sex," Chichi said matter-of-factly as she placed the now folded sheet into the laundry basket. Her husband had no such difficulty when talking about any other subject.

"WHAT?!" his wife's statement was like a splash of cold water...or a slap to the face...Goku really couldn't decide, other than it was REALLY shocking! "CHICHI!"

"Goku-sa," Chichi said indulgently, "It was bound to happen..."

"CHICHI!"

"Well, it was. We both know the reason Videl got divorced from him is because he admitted to being in love with another, who happened to be a man, when he was on Vegeta-sei," Chichi said as she combed some stray hairs back into the rest: she frowned, distracted for a moment by the memory of noticing so many more gray ones this morning.

Her husband brought her back to the present with another uncompleted statement, "But..."

"But what, Goku?" Chichi asked as she reached for another sheet from the line. She'd had three years to get used to the idea both of her sons were gay. She was just happy she'd happened to get one grandchild out of the deal. "I don't see why you are letting it bother you so much."

"But...he..."

"He?" Chichi asked, folding the next piece of material, using the task to stay patient with her husband's behavior.

"Vegeta..."

"What about Vegeta, dear?"

"Vegeta doesn't love Gohan," Goku squeaked uncertainly. He frowned at himself: he had meant for it to be a confident growl.

"Probably not," Chichi agreed, "And Gohan probably doesn't love Vegeta."

"Then why...why would they have sex?" Goku managed to spit out.

"Believe it or not, some people have sex just for the sake of having it, sometimes with people they don't love. Not that I condone that sort of behavior, but I don't condemn it either," Chichi stated, another article of laundry coming down from the line. "I suggest you get used to it Goku. Gohan probably isn't going to change because of our opinions: he's a grown adult."

"I'm not concerned about Gohan," Goku stated harshly before he realized what he was saying.

Chichi brought the towel she was holding in to her waist as she gave her husband a confident smile, "Something about Vegeta concerns you then?"

"CHICHI!"

Chichi shook her head, "Goku-sa, I know you very well. Obviously, better than you know yourself in some ways," and she finished folding up the towel, placing it on top of every thing else, and picked the basket up to carry inside.

"Chichi?" Goku asked, taking the basket from his wife's hands as she started to march past him.

Chichi handed the basket over; thankful he was willing to carry it in. "You really need to ask yourself _why_ you are _always_ so concerned with what Vegeta is doing," Chichi stated, "And it isn't just this."

Goku frowned as he followed Chichi back to the house, "I'm _not_ ready for this..." he said quietly, "I wouldn't ever leave you for another, Chichi, you know that, don't you? I love _you_."

Chichi nodded, "Yes, dear. I know, but that doesn't mean you don't find him attractive," Chichi smiled. Admittedly, when she was younger, and had first noticed her husband's obsession with the other sayian, she had been jealous. Eventually, she had figured out her husband was completely devoted to her, and her worries weren't necessary, "And Vegeta got tired of waiting..."

"CHICHI!"

Chichi shook her head as she led Goku to the back of the hallway, "Put the basket down, Goku," she requested gently, indicating a spot on the floor in front of the linen closet.

Goku frowned as he did so, reacting slightly as Chichi grabbed his hand and pulled him into their bedroom. He stilled when she stopped tugging and watch his wife as she pulled out a chair, turning it away from the vanity dresser, "Sit, Goku," he began to wonder what she was up to, but did so, and watched as she opened the closet door so the mirror on the back of it faced him. She returned back to him, and then stood behind him, "What do you see, Goku?" she asked.

Goku's brows lowered, as he tried to figure out what she was getting at, "I see you, and I see me," said. He watched as her reflection nodded.

"Yes,"

"Chichi, I don't know...."

Chichi sighed, "I'll tell you what I see," she said, dropping her chin to the top of her husband's head, as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders loosely, "I see you: a young man, with rosy cheeks, bright eyes, smooth, unflawed skin," she started. She smiled as Goku blushed, and pressed fingers awkwardly to his lips from where she stood as he opened his mouth to speak, "And I see me: a grandmother, gray hair, worry lines, tired eyes...."

"Chichi," Goku said, "You're not old...."

"Goku-sa, we both know I am," Chichi smiled down at him, running sharp nails gently through his hair and over his scalp: she smiled as he sighed in appreciation.

"But..."

Chichi stood straight and then walked around to the front of him, "I should have let you go a long time ago, when I first started noticing. It wasn't fair to keep you tied to my side."

Goku shook his head, "Chichi, no: that would have hurt," he said, frown deepening.

"It's going to hurt more, when I am gone," Chichi told him sadly.

"I-I don't want to think about it," Goku admitted immaturely, looking away from her.

Chichi shook her head, and then slid onto his lap, "But you know it's going to happen?" she hadn't been so sure her husband even thought about such things.

Goku hugged his wife closer, burying his face into her soft shoulder, "I don't want to talk about it," he repeated.

"But we need to," Chichi told him seriously, "You need to," she sighed, running her hands soothingly over his back when he refused to respond. "You'll hurt, at first...I know, because it always hurt when you were gone," Chichi told him quietly when he started to protest.

"Chichi...stop," why was she being so cruel?

"You'll need people around you. I know you: you will. I don't know how long you're going to live, but it may be a real possibility you'll find the need to be with another..." she chuckled as Goku shook his head adamantly, knowing better, despite his current, non-verbal protests, "But I don't like the idea of you finding another, only to have them fade away from you as well," she told him quietly, pressing her hands to either side of his face, and making him look up, "And I think, instinctively, if not actively, you've always known this," Goku's bottom lip trembled as he was forced to look up at his wife, but had no words to combat the truth of what she was saying.

"Goku-sa...Vegeta is..." she was interrupted as his lips pressed to hers, and Chichi let him win her silence: she had made her point.

~o0o~

  
  


 


	15. Chapter 14

A/N: TISSUE WARNING! Also, Thank you for sticking with the beta'ing Hoshi!

 

##  _Idomu_

### By [Macha ](mailto:bynp@comcast.net)

### Chapter 14

 

Vegeta's movement to shut the door was blocked as Gohan followed him in, "Leave it open," Gohan instructed.

Vegeta watched the other curiously as he began to strip while moving further into the room, "What are you up to? " he asked suspiciously.

Gohan dropped his shirt to the floor, waved his tail in an enticing motion, and looked over his shoulder, "The seduction of Kakarott: phase two. "

Vegeta grunted as he took his hand away from the door's edge: it still seemed very weird to hear Gohan use his father's sayian name when referring to Kakarott. Thoughts of weirdness turned to those of lust as he watched Gohan _move_. Nothing overt, resting his elbows on a counter top, upper torso bent over, tail twining and untwining from his own thighs, knees flexing slowly, lifting one hip before lowering it back and raising the other. Vegeta took his shirt off quickly, growling in appreciation at the nuance of the other's movements.

Gohan looked over his shoulder back at Vegeta, flicked his tail once, and purred in response to the sayian's deep growl. He gasped as Vegeta's hands were suddenly halting the movements of his hips, fingers digging in demandingly, pulling him back with a quick jerk: not enough to pull him from the counter, but enough he could feel heat and friction as their still clothed legs rubbed against each others'.

Vegeta shook his head in reaction to Gohan, running his nails over the other's spine. Gripped his sides, and then pulled back again, moving slowly. He couldn't quite place a finger on it, but anything the other did...it made him want to growl and bite: and thrust hard. He purred as the fantasy of it being the father instead of the son quickly came and went. That was dangerous ground: Kakarott wouldn't know what to do with himself in this situation, "How do you think your father will react, if he shows up, and the door is open? " he questioned, just before leaning over and pressing his lips just over Gohan's spine and started kissing up.

"Hmmmm," Gohan mused, "I don't know: kind of what I wanted to find out. "

Vegeta shook his head as he hooked his fingers in the hem of Gohan's pants and dragged them down his legs, nipping at his tail when the kid got it too close too his face, "What if...what if he comes in? " Vegeta couldn't help but ask.

Gohan shook his head as he stood straight long enough to remove the material pooled around his feet, "He's not that gutsy...yet," he turned and smirked, returning the favor of removed clothing, "What would you do if he did though? " Gohan leaned away from the counter and whispered in Vegeta's ear as the sayian frowned at the thought, "Would you be interested in being the middle of a sayian sandwich? " he purred.

Vegeta snarled, reached a hand for Gohan's throat and backed him up against the counter's edge, "If I _were_ interested, it would be on _my_ terms, not yours," he said threateningly.

Gohan nodded, barely keeping a smirk off of his face: he liked it when Vegeta pushed him around.

~o0o~

Goten steadied his glass of water before it fell off of the kitchen counter, "They're at it again. You're dad's a perv," he commented to Trunks before shoving another handful of peanuts into his mouth.

Trunks shook his head and took a drink of water from his own glass. Which he promptly spit out, on accident, "Well, if my dad is a perv, what does that make yours? " he asked archly as both of them detected Goku's ki make a sudden, though not unexpected, appearance.

Goten rolled his eyes, "Okay, so they are both pervs, yours is a cradle robber, and mine is a peeping tom. "

Trunks leered at his friend, just before his mom stormed through the hallway mumbling something about foundations and sayians, "Oh, crap... "

Goten laughed as he watched his friend get up hurriedly, "MOM! STOP! " he heard shouted from the hallway: everyone knew what was happening, but neither of them thought Bulma knew of Goku's...involvement. Moments later Trunks returned leading Bulma into the kitchen.

"He needs to stop rocking the building! I found cracks in the bathroom plaster this morning," Bulma huffed, "Why can't he do this in the G.R. or something? "

"I agree, just...talk to him after, okay," Trunks turned pleading eyes to his friend.

"Yeah, kick them out after," Goten agreed. He didn't want to know how any of the three of them would react if Bulma found Goku watching....

Bulma sighed, grimaced as she was thrown off balance, and turned to the intercom system, pressing the button, "VEGETA! You are ROCKING THE BUILDING. "

Everything suddenly became still. Bulma shook her head before leaving the kitchen to head back to her home office.

Goten looked at Trunks, and Trunks looked back. They exploded into fits of laughter moments later.

~o0o~

Goku stood with his back pressed to the hallway wall, panting, palms flat against the slowly warming surface. He slowly let himself slide down it until he was sitting on the cool tile flooring. He certainly had not been expecting them to leave the door _open_.

It was much clearer now, what they were saying to each other while they had sex: some of it wasn't very nice at all, and Goku had to admit, he'd liked it better when they had kept him guessing.

What was up with that any way? The door open? It was ridiculous to think they _didn't_ know he was here, so if they knew...then _why_?

Was it to scare him off? 'Cause...it was almost working. Goku flinched at a particularly loud groan from his son. If they wanted privacy in the first place, they could pick a room with no window in the door.

Was it an invitation? Were they expecting him to just come waltzing in? 'Cause that wouldn't happen either. Goku snarled quietly: he would never be able to compete with his son in this....

Wait, when had this become about competing? And for wh...

Goku shook his head at himself, he knew exactly what: not even he could fool himself on that one.

"VEGETA! You are ROCKING THE BUILDING! " Goku squeaked as Bulma's voice came over the speaker system. After his heart had settled back into his chest, he realized things had become much more still...wait, Bulma _knew_?

There was a quiet growl and a responsive chuckle from the room behind him. He heard murmuring, but couldn't quite make out what was being said: then, "Close your eyes," Gohan's voice requested. Goku twisted his head to look at the doorway, but no one was standing there.

"I don't think... " Vegeta's rough voice carried easily.

"That's right, don't think, just close your eyes," quiet coaxing. Goku wondered what they were doing, and even more questions popped up as he felt his son's ki diminish: they hadn't used the ki cuffs in a couple of months....

...Goku's curiosity got the better of him, and he managed to convince himself to peek through the doorway. He twisted to his knees and stretched until he could see what was going on.

It was very strange, at least compared to what he could remember for these two. Vegeta was moving quite slow, Gohan's moans were softer, though no less intense, the touches more gentle....

...And kisses. Goku couldn't remember a time he'd actually witnessed them kiss: and it was Vegeta who had initiated it. He wanted to scream, roar, howl....

...Instead he sat on the floor, a frustrated, obsessing voyeur, made so by his cowardice in this, and his endless fascination with Vegeta....

"Oh god," it slipped from his mouth so quietly Goku didn't realize he'd said it aloud.

"Kakarott," Goku was certain he had heard that, but, Vegeta wasn't looking at him, nor had he said it angrily...

Goku watched as Gohan shifted his head quickly as Vegeta made to kiss over that ugly scar on his son's shoulder, "Don't lose yourself that far," Gohan whispered, running a hand through Vegeta's hair.

Vegeta nodded, going back to kissing at Gohan's lips, then neck, though on the opposite side. He pressed his forehead to the other's chest, growling softly, "I want him, so badly. "

Gohan closed his eyes, nodding in understanding, responding by twining his tail with Vegeta's soothingly, running hands tentatively over the other's scarred back. He sighed as he felt his father's ki leave, "Do you want to stop? " this was pointless now. Neither of them wanted to do this slow shit with the other....

"Make me forget, Gohan," Vegeta requested.

Gohan frowned, that was going to be a fairly difficult thing to accomplish. "Let me up," he spoke quietly, moaned as Vegeta with drew from him, and slipped down from the counter. He grinned, patting the surface with a bare hand, "Lay back: relax. "

Vegeta gave Gohan a curious look, but did as asked. He closed his eyes again as Gohan straddled him, "You ready for a good ride? "

Vegeta shook his head at the question, "You think you got what it takes? " he challenged.

Gohan's response was a smirk, "Ah yeah. "

~o0o~  


Gohan sighed as he continued to repair another damaged probe. He was certain Vegeta took perverse pleasure in demolishing them, but he couldn't find a better target. The sayian's power level was the most constant, because of his steady training regiment.

He closed the last compartment, and set the probe on the data dock, hoping it would have time to charge before the last one he had sent out came back on its own, or in Vegeta's hand.

"I see he broke another one," Gohan spun in his chair as he heard Bulma's voice from the doorway.

Gohan smiled, a hint of laughter in his voice, "Yeah. "

"I can't tell what is making this project more expensive," Bulma sighed as she walked the rest of the way into the room, "You saying you need more time and equipment, or Vegeta killing off half of the project," Bulma picked up one on the charred remains of a probe, shook her head again, and set it back down.

"Is that your way of asking if I know anything new? " Gohan asked, leaning back in his chair.

"Nah, it's just my way of telling you I've had to fend off the auditors again," Bulma shrugged, not showing much of the concern she actually felt. She was determined this project would take as long as it needed to be complete, and days like this made her think she couldn't stick with that goal...they just wore her out. She smirked, "And a couple of the more nosy employees have suggested if I weren't so interested in keeping my husband's boy toy happily employed...."

Gohan gulped, he'd wondered when they were going to have this conversation: he certainly hadn't been expecting to have it in such a setting though - or for it to have taken this long. He decided to change tactics; hopefully delay the confrontation... "I've tried to keep up the progress on this project. The magnetic enhancers are wonderful for moving the probe from place to place, which would be the space part of the problem: I've managed to get one out to Old Namek...took a little longer than those that stay here on Earth...Anyway, it's the time part of the problem that keeps getting me stuck...I swear, I am working on it... "

Bulma shook her head, smirk still in place, and now laughter in her voice, "You sweat it too easily, Gohan, it's almost no fun giving you a bad time! "

Gohan could feel the blush creeping across his nose, cheeks and to the tip of his ears, "Well, you see, you and I haven't actually talked about it...."

Bulma waved a hand to signal it wasn't necessary, "Vegeta and I have, that's all that matters...what the... " she started to say, looking around, as a buzzing noise started growing in the lab. She covered her ears, as it quickly became an intolerable screeching. Her eyes focused on Gohan, who was doing the same, who shook his head to indicate he had no idea what it was either.

Movement to the side of them had both of their eyes shifting quickly. The probe that had been docked was lifting from the dock, and the one that had been out took its place as the screeching continued, and then the recently repaired one popped out of existence. They both sagged in gratefulness at the resounding quiet that followed its exit.

"What was that? " Bulma asked wide-eyed.

Gohan shook his head, before looking up, "Oh, shit, if that thing gets to Vegeta...I'll- I'll be right back! "

Bulma took a seat after he left, rubbing her temples. Moments later Gohan was back, "It didn't get there," he had a strange, confused look on his face, "I've timed them, it doesn't take them more than 32 seconds to get there. "

"I don't know what to tell you, Gohan. Do they always do that? " Bulma asked.

Gohan shook his head, taking a seat again, "No. I had just repaired that one: apparently incorrectly," he sighed, "I hope where ever it has gotten to, it isn't making that awful noise. "

"At the rate those vibrations were working? It'll probably break apart in a matter of minutes," Bulma mused, "Probably ought to add a requisition for more parts," she advised.

Gohan groaned; that's all he needed. Taking a requisition down to purchasing...it was a good thing the department wasn't customer service oriented: they certainly never made a person feel welcome, especially if said person were asking for money to replace something they had broken...repeatedly.

Bulma shook her head, but held no sympathy. She'd hired those people to do exactly what they were doing: keeping a watchful eye on what the company was spending, "I'll leave you to that," she said quietly before standing and walking out of the lab.

~o0o~

Two weeks later, Gohan strolled tiredly into his lab, coffee in hand, eyes half closed as he fired up his computer to begin another uneventful day of calculations and small-scale manufacturing.

He took a sip of coffee, swinging to face the rest of the lab from his chair, eyes searching white boards and tables, sizing up which of many projects waiting he wanted to start on first. He turned back to his computer as it blipped at him, and yawned as the data from the probe that had come in over night....

...Wait, the last probe had come in before he had turned in for the night.

No, this was new data, but for the life of him, Gohan couldn't remember having sent it out before he left, "I need a vacation," he grumbled, clicking the chart to a higher rating.

He frowned, wondering if someone had decided to tamper with the project. The key for Vegeta's reading was flat lined...so was his for that matter. The only one that seemed to be operational was Trunks', and that was just weird. If the probe were malfunctioning, why would it pick up on any of their kis at all?

He set his coffee cup aside to type at the keys in an annoyed fashion. He usually didn't bother looking at these...just repeats of what he knew...wait.

Capsule Corp was in shambles. Wait, this thing had been out at night, why was he seeing pictures in the full light of day? The computer screen flashed through photos of different portions of the compound. The one building that stood wasn't even the round structure he was used to seeing....

...A quick ki scan told him everyone was healthy, in bed, and probably asleep.

What was he looking at then?

And then, there was Trunks...or, no... .Gohan shook his head: not the Trunks he was familiar with.

"Mirai? "

Gohan turned to look at the probe in the dock. It looked a little disheveled, compared to the probe that had undocked and settled on the counter besides it, anyway.

It took a moment longer for all the data to pile up and come to a conclusion in Gohan's less than operational, tired brain.

He had done it.

He didn't know how he had done it, but the evidence was right there.

"WHAHOOOOOOOOOOOOO! " he looked around quickly after his whoop, a little embarrassed, and then realized, there wasn't anyone up at that hour.

"Bulma," he was out of his chair and locking the lab down without thinking much more than his need to have someone help him figure out what had happened so differently this time.

Vegeta growled and hugged his wife closer as someone annoyingly knocked on their bedroom door, "Bulma? Are you awake? " Another persistent knock had Vegeta climbing out of bed, ready to blast whoever was trying to wake his wife at this unholy hour.

He'd barely touch the knob when his brain functions told him who was at the door, but not fast enough for him to react and not open it. "Gohan. "

"Is Bulma awake? " Gohan tried not to size Vegeta up, but it was really difficult not to do when the sayian was standing there, butt-ass naked.

Vegeta frowned, tail whipping: he'd obviously let the other become too familiar with him if he thought he could knock on their bedroom door any time he chose, "No... "

"I am now, Vegeta," Bulma mumbled as she shifted to sit up in the bed, tiredly running a hand through her hair while the other held the sheet to her chest.

"I think I got it to work," Gohan said in a rush from the doorway. If it had been anyone other than the sayian blocking his way, Gohan had a feeling he'd have already entered the room in his excitement.

That woke Bulma up a bit more, "Think? "

"Yeah, I don't remember sending this probe out last night, but the data on my computer this morning... "

"Give me some time to get dressed and eat something, I'll be down there as quickly as possible," Bulma said, too excited now to go back to sleep.

Gohan nodded, stood there, until Vegeta growled, "Oh, sorry," he hesitated a bit more before heading back down to his lab. He was too keyed up. His hands were actually shaking!

Vegeta closed the door, grumbling slightly, "It's the weekend: you're supposed to be able to sleep in," he told his wife from where he stood, perfectly able to watch her as she put a bra on and then moved around in the darkness of the bedroom. He flinched a bit as she turned a light in the closet on.

"Breakthroughs don't always happen when it is convenient," Bulma tried to reason quietly as she pulled a T-shirt off a hanger.

Vegeta yawned, tail stretching out behind him, not bothering to respond as he headed into the bathroom to take a shower.

Bulma shook her head as she pulled some jeans on, put on some socks and slipped into some loosely tied tennis shoes.

She was quite surprised when she walked into the kitchen, smell of coffee hitting her nose, "Hi Mom, you're up early," she said as she made her way to the kitchen cupboards.

"Good morning, honey. I thought I would try that recipe Gohan brought back with regular flour," Bunni explained. Bunni hummed as she added something else to the mixing bowl, "Those plants sure are stubborn."

Bulma smiled at her mother. It really wasn't that unusual for her mom to talk about plants like they had ideas and personalities, "Well, you will get them to grow for you. If anyone can get them to grow, it'll be you, Mom." Then a thought hit Bulma, "Which recipe? " she asked a bit hesitantly.

Bunni smiled, finally looking up at her daughter, "The pastry one dear. Not that interested in trying to brew alcohol this early in the morning."

Bulma shook her head at herself, "I should have known. "

"I'll chalk it up to _you_ being up so early," her mother assured her.

"Thanks mom...oh, um, I'll be down in the labs... "

"On a Saturday? " Bunni asked.

"Yeah... " Bulma stirred some sugar into her coffee cup.

"I'll bring you some breakfast when it's done," Bunni said, "You working with anyone? "

"Yeah, Gohan," Bulma mentioned.

"I'll bring enough for him also. "

"Thanks Mom," Bulma grabbed her coffee and headed for the labs.

She snorted as she entered Gohan's lab to find him pacing back and forth, "Okay, show me," she laughed as he jumped.

Gohan pulled out a chair in front of his computer and indicated he wanted her to sit in it with a wave of his hand, "Okay, so here is the data from the probe sent out at 6 pm last night, and came back at 8... "

"You were here until 8 p.m. last night? " Bulma asked, a bit concerned. She had known Gohan was dedicated to this project...she just didn't realize _how_ dedicated until now.

"Yeah...anyway, you can see my ki reading, Vegeta's, my dad's, Piccolo's, Goten's, Trunks'," running a finger tip over each as he explained who they were.

The way Gohan just shrugged off the hours he was putting in had Bulma concerned, but she nodded she understood what Gohan was pointing out and then asked, "You're not using humans? "

Gohan shook his head, "No, their ki is not constantly high enough, although that can be fine-tuned later," he said. He moved for the keyboard, and Bulma shifted a bit so he had room to type, "And here is the data from the one that came in last night... "

"The one you don't remember sending it out? " Bulma asked, before she looked back at the screen, and gapped, "Where is everyone? I only see Trunks'. "

"Exactly," Gohan stated, "So I went to the photos, I haven't had to do that much lately, all the data's been pretty much the same. "

"Okay... " Bulma stated.

Gohan hit a key command on the keyboard, and a picture of Trunks popped up, "Miria? "

"Wow, didn't take you long to figure that out... " Gohan started.

"I am his mom...or, this Trunks' mom, I can tell the difference," Bulma frowned, looking closer. Same slight frown, even longer hair, and a scar across his nose she didn't remember from his previous trips, "Okay, so, I think you got it to do something different," she agreed, "What is it? "

"That's just it, I don't remember! " Gohan actually clutched his hair as he stood straight.

"Calm down," Bulma said, taking a sip from her rapidly cooling coffee, "That's the odd one? " she nodded towards the probe in the dock.

"Yeah... "

"Okay, here is what we are going to do. Since I haven't been in on this whole project, we are going to tear one of the normal ones apart, bit by bit," she smiled as Gohan fidgeted, "I'll fill out the requisitions for the new parts, if any are needed," she assured him, "Once I know what I am looking at for one of the regulars, we'll take this one apart. "

"Okay," Gohan smiled, "I...I just don't want to ruin it. It's the only one that's worked. "

"And we'll figure out what made it work," Bulma promised.

An hour later Bunni interrupted them with food. Bulma barely touched hers, but Gohan wolfed his down in record time, and then finished Bulma's as well. A couple more hours, and they had the example probe taken apart and set out on a table in the precise order it had been dismantled: notes next to each component or piece written down on the table top in permanent marker.

Bulma had the cover of the odd one taken off, and was looking at the circuit board when she stopped.

Gohan looked up as Bulma froze, "What is it? "

Bulma leaned in, "These are the crystals, right? " she asked, pointing at the components in question.

Gohan nodded, "Yes? " looking over her shoulder.

"Someone did a very sloppy job of soldering then," Bulma said, before she realized what she had said, "Sorry, but you did... "

Gohan shrugged, "I'll live with it," he waited as she followed the solder splash, holding a magnifying glass up to it for a moment.

"It's ran into the circuits for the magnets," she whispered, thinking.

"You think there was connectivity between the two? " Gohan asked, wondering if or how that would have made things different.

Bulma set the magnifying glass down on the table, biting her bottom lip as her eyes lost focus, "You said you didn't remember sending this one out, last night? "

Gohan nodded.

"What if...that's because it went out two weeks ago? " Bulam asked, finally turning to look at him.

"The screecher? " Gohan caught on quickly.

Bulma nodded, "And the reason for the screeching was this," she pointed down at the solder splash.

"Crystals connected to the magnets? "

"Rotating magnets," Bulma corrected.

"Oh...you mean like when you take a wet finger around the edge of a crystal glass? " Gohan asked.

"Sort of, not an actual physical touch," Bulma nodded, "The electricity would be the thing transferring the motion of the magnets to the crystals, and the crystals could possibly be translating the additional data into sound. "

"That didn't sound like that though," Gohan frowned.

"Well you have three different crystals here, Gohan," Bulma pointed out, "They'd pitch differently. "

"So...are you indicating sound did this? " Gohan asked, incredulous.

Bulma frowned, a thoughtful look coming over her features again, "Well, it really isn't that far fetched," she started.

"How so? " Gohan took a seat.

"Well, I remember the boys mentioning when they were stuck in the room of spirit and time, they watched as Buu ripped a hole in dimensions with a yell...that's how that monster, and then later the boys, got out of the room after Piccolo had blasted the door shut. "

"Ooooooh," Gohan said thoughtfully.

Bulma looked back down at the probe, "I don't think I've damaged it: I'd only taken the cover off before I noticed this," she said quietly, "Should we put it back on and try it again? "

Gohan rubbed the palms of his hands on his pants, "Um...sure, I guess," he agreed cautiously, and Bulma had a moment to wonder about his hesitance, "Can we get some of the ear protection equipment from the blast lab first? " he asked.

Bulma laughed, "Of course! "

~o0o~~o0o~

Prince Vegeta gazed out from one eye. This fight certainly had not gone as well as he'd hoped. Firstly, Kakarott had been taken out of the equation by the fact his brother was on the ground dieing, and his mate was trying to administer that CPR thing Gohan had tried to teach them, and was supposed to have given him a senzu shot by now.

Who ever had _not_ been watching Radditz was going to pay. They'd told him to back off when the fight started, but the other had adamantly refused to do so. And then, to top it off, the commander hadn't stayed down the first time the enemy had proven him too weak to be of use in this fight. Oh, no, Radditz had to come back for a second try...like he was _looking_ for death.

So he'd spent the next hour of this fight on his own, as Kakarott, although angry, was wrapped up with trying to get his brother to stay amongst the living.

Secondly, Gohan had not been underestimating this opponent while training them, and it was going to take the two of them working together to finish him off. Which wasn't happening because of the first reason!

"GAH! " he threw a ki attack at the enemy sayian, dodged the ki attack he could see coming his direction out of the peripheral vision of his undamaged eye...straight into the one that came at him, and pierced through him, from his blinded side.

Kakarott looked up as his mate screeched: a tortured, agonized sound...and then he felt nothing.

_Absolutely nothing_.

Brolli smirked down at his target. Now that the two nuisances were out of the way, he'd have no problems finishing off this last opponent. When that was done, he didn't know what he'd do, but this was his goal, for the present.

Too bad about the first sayian he'd had to kill: persistent, beautiful fool. Lived for the moment, Brolli guessed, rather than take his advice.

Something in the last enemy's behavior sparked a flash of concern in the normally fanatical sayian. A brief wondering if maybe he'd gone too far.

By the time he and Kakarott were face to face, it was too late to care. So this was sayian his father had always blamed their fate on....And people called him insane?

"You'll destroy the planet," Brolli chocked out, trying to pry the ki charging hands from around his throat as Kakarott pushed him through the planet's crust. As obsessed as he was, even he had the faculty to reason...right now, it seemed his opponent had lost the ability to equate survival...or didn't care.

He received no response other than a snarl. And then fire, from both directions: one the ki of his enemy, the other the heat of the planet's core.

~o0o~~o0o~

Gohan had convinced himself he was doing this out of curiosity to know he _could_.

And then he had convinced himself he was doing it a second time, because he needed to know the first time he had found it hadn't been a fluke.

And it hadn't been. He'd used Videl's birth date as a point of reference, for the day, and sent out probes on thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands, of data missions to other dimensions, varying the year, trying to find the one where Vegeta-sei was still intact at the same time.

And came up with 37 dimensions where both occurred.

But only one where his ki was on the planet at the same time.

So he was a little obsessed: who would blame him? Not that he'd go back: no, he could finally tell his emotional scars were healing up. He had learned from his mistakes, and wouldn't make the same ones again....

And then this last probe with its data came back, and the Vegeta-sei of _that_ dimension wasn't there.

Which meant... _his_ Radditz...wasn't there.

And he discovered he wasn't as 'cured' as he had thought.

The shaking of his hands stopped as someone came into the lab unexpectedly, "Gohan? "

Gohan quickly turned his computer screen off, before turning around, wondering how his father had managed to come into the room without him detecting it- oh, yeah, obsessed.

"What do you want Dad? " he tried to be cordial, but really, he had other things on his mind other than talking to his father right now.

"Did you forget? " Goku asked.

"Forget? " Gohan repeated.

"Your daughter's high school graduation is today," Goku shook his head: it was obvious his son _had_ forgotten, "Chichi sent me to get you when you didn't show up," Goku said, "Come on, we're late! "

"Do I have time to change? " he asked, suddenly ashamed he had let himself become so fixated with this project.

"No! We're late! " Goku said, holding out his hand.

Gohan sighed, as he placed his hand in his father's, flinched a bit at the sensation of traveling through space in the blink of an eye.

And into the middle of a crowd of people. Gohan shook his head as several people gaped at them. How his father knew where to place them where they didn't actually run into someone on re-entry...now that was quite a trick.

"Goku," Chichi chastised as she patted her chest, "You scared me. "

"Sorry hun," Goku smiled, placing a hand behind his head in embarrassment.

Chichi swallowed, "No, it's okay, you made it," she turned her attention to her eldest, "You're late! " she whispered harshly as the graduating class's song began to play over a P.A. system.

"Sorry, Mom," Gohan said quietly as he took a seat.

He tried to pay attention, he really did, but there were so many graduating students before he daughter came up on the stage, and it gave him lots of time to think...worry.

What had happened? A single day had made that much of a difference in the other time line? One day his ki had been there, he'd been expecting it to be gone, but the planet still there after.

One day... "Son Pan," his daughter was announced as she came up on stage, and he had a moment to reflect how much she had grown over the last few years. He smiled as his mother clapped the loudest, adding his own, wishing to holler his approval, but knowing his mother would think it totally inappropriate.

He smiled as Pan looked towards them, and waved cheerfully as she walked off the stage, and Gohan waved back enthusiastically. After that brief moment of interruption, he had some time to reflect again.

If that were the case, then he understood why Shenron had sent him back in time as well as across time lines. Okay, so, if one day _was_ the difference, then, he'd try to fine-tune the probes for hours, instead of days.

Yeah...that's what he'd do.

The valedictorian's speech was boring: blah, blah, blah.

And then hats were being thrown in the air, "Come on," Chichi grabbed both his and his father's hands, tugging them to get over to Pan.

"Hi Daddy," Pan said, giving him a hug.

It was an awkward moment for Gohan. He hadn't been the best of fathers since his return, throwing himself into his work, probably more than what was healthy. She was quite a bit taller than the last time he'd seen her, "Wow...you look more like your great aunt than you know... "

Chichi frowned, but didn't interrupt the moment.

Pan blushed, "Well, is that a complement? "

Gohan smiled, nodding, "Yes, it was meant as a complement," he squeezed her again, "Congratulations! "

"I am so glad you made it! " Pan said before pushing him back, frowning, "You've gotten thinner," she accused.

Gohan's tail whipped at the unwanted attention, "Yeah," but he didn't go into the fact he'd been focusing on...yeah, best not to discuss that. Everyone here was under the impression he was doing better.

"Hello, Gohan," Videl squeezed herself between a couple of other gathered groups of people.

Gohan gulped, "Hi Videl. "

He didn't know what to make of the smile, "Hey, Pan! Is that your dad? " another student in graduation robes asked from a distance.

Pan rolled her eyes at her friend's timing, having noted the tense moment between her parents, "I'll be right back," she said in a serious tone, "Grandpa, grandma, come with me? " Goku shrugged, and Chichi nodded.

"Uh-oh," Videl's eyes widened as she watched her daughter move off, "Going to introduce her 'other grandfather' to her friends," she laughed, "How have you been? " she asked, turning back to Gohan.

"Um...busy," he hoped Videl wouldn't make a public scene.

"Relax. I hated you for a long time. I am over it now," she said with a simple shrug.

Gohan placed a hand behind his head, really uncomfortable, "Yeah, well, I wish I could say the same... "

"Still hurts? " Videl asked, "Sorry, none of my business... " she sighed.

Gohan shrugged, "Valid question, and yeah, I guess it does. "

Videl nodded.

"Watch it, freak," Gohan turned in surprise at someone's comment, realizing his tail was swinging. He growled as he tucked it back around his waist.

"Not here," Videl begged him, a little surprised to see Gohan's expression. She had never seen him behave like that.

"I could squash him," he watched the teenager move away with a deadly glare as a bunch of his friends laughed with him.

"There'd be no challenge in it, Gohan," Videl assured him.

"Feh," he was irritated enough right now, and he'd grown unused to crowds...

"Chichi! " Gohan's head swung in the direction he'd last seen his daughter and parents moving off at the sound of his dad's panicked voice.

"That didn't sound good... " Gohan had just enough time to hear his ex say as he moved as quickly through the crowd as possible without hurting people.

"Stand back people! " he heard his daughter's voice warn others off.

"Pan, what's going on? " he asked, as he saw her head above the crowd of people just standing around. He didn't see his father....

...Oh, there, kneeling next to his mother, "Oh...no," no, not this too.

He realized his pain wasn't as much as his father's was going to be as Goku turned teary eyes up to him, "We need to get her to the hospital. "

"Someone call an ambulance! " Pan yelled, "My grandmother's had a heart attack! "

Gohan touched his dad's shoulder, "Can you focus? "

Goku nodded, pulling Chichi into his arms, standing, and then passing her to Gohan as he focused on any kis he could detect in the direction he knew the nearest hospital to be in from previous visits with his granddaughter, and then to see her other granddad in the hospital.

Videl made it just as the two sayians left with her ex-mother-in-law between them, in time to hug her daughter, "Come on Pan, we need to catch up," she said, tugging on her daughter's shoulders to get her to respond.

"SOMEONE HELP!" Goku's shout made Gohan blanch as their journey came to a stop in the middle of a white tiled hallway, "Help," Goku whispered this time, taking Chichi from Gohan's arms.

"Dad... " Gohan started, "DAD! We need to find the emergency room: ground floor. "He growled in frustration, looking for the nearest set of stairs as his father managed to get two fingers to his forehead despite holding his mother.

He slammed into the release bar of the door at the end of the stairs as he made it to the bottom floor, coming in on chaos Goku was creating while trying to get someone to help his wife, "She's having a heart attack. She needs a doctor!" he snarled at some poor fool who had dared ask him the 'what's wrong' question. "Are you a doctor? "

"No"

"Then fucking get one!"

"DAD!"

"No one in this gods damned place gives a damn!" Goku snarled at his son.

"Dad," Gohan said in a more reasonable tone.

"Excuse me... "

"WHAT! ?" Goku turned on someone who had approached him quietly from behind.

"I am a doctor. I understand your wife is having a heart attack?"

Goku nodded, holding Chichi out to the man.

Who cleared his throat, "Will you please set her down here?" the doctor indicated a gurney on the other side of the hallway.

"You have to help her," Goku said, placing his wife down gently on the moveable bed.

The doctor put a stethoscope to his ears as he moved forward. Placed his instrument against Chichi's chest, listened a moment before placing two fingers of his free hand to her neck. He removed both before pulling a penlight out of his smock pocket and pulled her eyelids back, one at a time, flashing the light into them.

He sighed, shaking his head, "I am sorry... "

Goku snarled, "Sorry?"

"We can't... "

"Don't tell me you can't!" Goku grabbed the man by his smock front and lifted him off of the ground, "Get those electronic shocking thingies... "

"Dad!"

"Dephibulator?" the doctor squeaked.

"YEAH! "

"It won't work... "

Goku threw the man to the ground. Gohan heard something crack, but knew that had been much more gentle than he'd been expecting, "Fucking useless piece of... " Goku's tirade vanished at the same time he did with Chichi's body.

"Crap," Gohan said, heading for the exit.

"Someone get a medical team...I think my leg is broken," he heard behind him as he waited impatiently for the automatic doors to open.

He was just about to blast off after clearing the hospitals overhang, when he heard his name being shouted from behind him, "GOHAN! "

"DAD! "

He stopped, "The doctor declared her dead," Gohan stated, emotions of worry and loss warring within him, but he had to get to his dad...that was his first priority.

"Where are you going? " Pan asked, slightly out of breath.

Gohan frowned, "I... " he took a moment to scan for his father's ki, hoping he hadn't hidden it, "Back to Capsule Corporation," he said.

"We'll meet you there," Pan waved him ahead as she waited for her mom to climb back on piggyback style. Even with the extra weight, she'd be faster than her mother's top flight speed.

Gohan didn't wait.

~o0o~

"Where is it? "

Bulma squealed at the question growled from behind her.

She turned, "Goku? " she squeaked. That hadn't sounded much like the man she knew. "What happened to Chichi? "

"Heart attack. Fucking useless doctors! Where is the senzu formula my son was so proud of creating? "

"Um... " Bulma pointed: she'd never truly been afraid of her friend, until now.

Goku snarled, "That isn't much to go on. "

"Follow me," Bulma said, managing to stand. She tripped once, in her hurry to appease her friend, kicked off her heels, and started running down the hall, the sayian right at her back.

Goku placed his wife down on a counter as Bulma opened a refrigerator, and pulled out one of the syringes.

Bulma bit her lip as she pushed the needle through Chichi's rib cage, and pressed the stopper down until all the formula was gone. Then she pulled it out, and panicked as nothing happened.

"Give her another," Goku snarled.

"Goku... "

"I SAID GIVE HER ANOTHER! " Goku roared at her, "GAH! " he spat in disgust as Bulma just stood there, staring at him, shaking in terror: she didn't know the meaning of terror!

He pushed her out of the way to get to the refrigerator, pulled it open, had one moment of panic as he reached his hand to grab at the needles, tamped down on his fear, and pulled one out, following the same process as Bulma had, by trying to put the senzu formula directly into Chichi's heart.

Again nothing.

He pulled another out of the refrigerator, "Kakarott. "

Goku snarled, "Get the fuck out, Vegeta. "

"You are scaring my wife," Vegeta pointed out as he moved into the room. He made a tiny motion with his hand at Bulma, trying to get the woman to move away from Kakarott.

Bulma scooted along the wall, trying to slowly edge away from her obviously grieving friend. As soon as there was enough space between the two of them, Vegeta moved himself into position.

"She's not leaving! " Goku growled. "I may still need her... "

"Your wife is dead, Kakarott," Vegeta blanched. That had sounded particularly cruel, even to him.

Kakarott's hands came down, as though all the strength had suddenly left him, "No," he shook his head.

Vegeta moved closer, nodding, "Yes. Give me the syringe," he held out his hand.

Goku shook his head, backing up and pulling the hand still holding the thing Vegeta had requested of him further away, protecting it possessively.

"Kakarott! " Vegeta demanded.

"Just...just let me try one more," Goku begged, "Please, Vegeta... "

Vegeta found himself in a dilemma...if he didn't let Kakarott try, the sayian may very well IT out of the room with his wife's body...he heard a squeak from behind him, someone's sneakers slowing on the tiled floor, but couldn't take his eyes off of Kakarott...the sayian moved too fast.

Goku growled at seeing his son at the doorway, "Goten. "

Goten gasped, seeing his mother's body on the table. The doorframe splintered as he crushed it beneath clinching fingers, "No," he slowly slid down until his knees hit the floor. He turned a questioning look up to his father.

Goku's numb fingers dropped the syringe, "I'm sorry...I-I couldn't... "

Trunks skidded to a halt at the doorway, in full view of the room. Goku noticed what he was holding and snarled, "Fuck you. "

Vegeta quickly snatched at Kakarott's hands as he noted them raise towards his face.

There was a brief struggle between the two, objects in the room being tossed about, before Goku was pinned between the reinforced concrete wall of the basement labs and Vegeta's body, "Let me go," he didn't have the energy to struggle any more...what was the use?

"Not this time, Kakarott," Vegeta flicked his tail at his son, indicating Trunks should approach.

"Sorry, Goku," Trunks said as he buckled one of the ki restraints over the wrists his father held out.

"Vegeta, don't do this," Goku begged.

"Trunks... " Vegeta tucked Kakarott's head onto his chest as he nodded towards Chichi's body.

"Come on, Goten," Vegeta heard his wife's voice from the doorway, and watched as the youngest sayian nodded meekly, following her away.

Trunks sighed, picking up Chichi's body, and leaving the room quietly.

"No," Kakarott shook his head against Vegeta's chest from where the other sayian had tucked it down between strong arms and forceful hands. He knew what was going on even if Vegeta wasn't letting him watch...he fisted his hands and punched Vegeta's sides...weakly...so angry...so confused...why had Chichi had to go now?

"No... " Kakarott repeated and then Vegeta found himself with _another_ sobbing sayian in his arms.

This time it wasn't so awkward: he knew what to do better now....

~o0o~

  
  


 


	16. Chapter 15

A/N: THANKS FOR STICKING WITH ME HOSHI!  She really is a wonderful Beta.

 

##  _Idomu_

### By [Macha ](mailto:bynp@comcast.net)

### Chapter 15

 

~o0o~

Gohan hugged his father tighter as they both tried to sleep in his often-unused bed. He would just about be asleep when Goku would jerk awake, and the process would start all over.

Goku hadn't put up much in the way of objections to the situation. They wouldn't let him sleep alone, but when Vegeta had grudgingly offered Goku found he just couldn't.

Goten wasn't in any shape to be offering emotional assistance to anyone; he'd been practically clinging to Trunks all day.

Gohan had sighed, taken Goku's lethargic hand, and led him down the hallway. Not that his mother's death hadn't affected him, but he felt guilty that he wasn't behaving as torn apart by this tragedy as his brother and father were.

"She was my best friend," Gohan snorted awake as his father spoke rationally to him for the first time in hours. He didn't say anything, not knowing how to respond, really, and there was silence in the darkened room for quite sometime afterward.

"Chi-chi," a little shake from his father's shoulders told Gohan he was crying again, but nothing as terrible as he'd walked in on in the labs.

"Y-you want t-to know why s-she hit me with the frying pan?" his father asked him.

Weird, "Um...sure," Gohan murmured tiredly.

"She told me she hurt her hand when she punched or slapped me when I was being particularly dense," Goku's shoulders jerked again, but this time Gohan couldn't tell if it were more tears, or actual laughter: maybe a combination of both.

"I handed it to her," oh, there was definite humor found there, "Do you know what she did?"

"Hmm, no," Gohan responded, slightly amused, despite the topic of the story.

"She held it out, inspected it in her hand, and then hit me on the head with it," Goku actually chuckled, and Gohan couldn't help but do the same, "It never hurt, but it certainly got my attention!"

Gohan shook his head against the pillow at the silliness of the memory, "I bet it did," he agreed.

"You know that marble rolling pin?" his father switched topics fast.

"The one on top of the fridge that never got used?" Gohan asked. He'd wondered about that. His mom wasn't known for frivolous kitchen decorations, but she had a wooden one she used for piecrusts.

"Yeah, that one. She gave the best back massages with that thing," Goku sighed a content sound, and then shook a little again.

"With a rolling pin?" Gohan had trouble imagining it.

"Yeah...I know," Goku shrugged.

A tired sigh, followed by a gentle snore.

~o0o~

The day of Chichi's funeral came. A sullen affair, where friends of the family filtered through uncomfortably wishing them their condolences, and then left just as uncomfortably with well meant promises they'd come and visit soon. Lip service, for most of them, Gohan guessed, even Krillan and Yamcha.

Two days later Goten and Trunks went to their parents' house in order to grab some of Goku's clothes, which the sayian insisted needed to be washed before he'd wear them. Goten handed the capsulized home to Gohan, who in turn handed it over to Vegeta, "I don't know when, but he may want to visit it some day," Gohan told the older sayian.

Vegeta gave Gohan a funny look as the demi turned back to go to his lab. If Kakarott would want to visit the home of his marriage, why didn't the eldest son keep it?

Gohan wasn't expecting Bulma to be in his lab when he got there."Hi," he mumbled, a little startled.

Bulma frowned, and shifted a bit, "I...I have something I need to give to you."

Gohan looked up at that. Why did Bulma seem so uncomfortable?

"With your mother passing away," she gulped, saying it without looking up, "I realized how much older I am than her..."

Gohan shrugged, and wished Bulma would just say what she wanted to say: this skirting around the topic shit was like dancing on his mother's grave.

Bulma sighed at the awkwardness of the situation, and just handed the padded envelope she held in her hand over to Gohan before leaving.

A short note fell out as he opened it and tipped it up to reveal the contents inside, _I hope you can forgive me, and possibly even understand why I didn't tell you sooner._ It read.

Gohan shook his head, wondering what it was as he opened up the regular envelope that had been inside as well.

He pulled out a thin piece of plastic with one fingerprint on it, and had a piece of tape carefully folded over it to keep the dust used to lift it in place.

Gohan stared at it. What was it? Well, he _knew_ what it was, just not why she was giving it to him.

Words came unbidden from past conversation as he sat and stared at it: " _Someone came and smashed the radars. We weren't able to find out whom. Bulma's security team found one fingerprint that wasn't Bulma's, but she didn't have the identity of the person in her database."_

Gohan looked at the note: _Why I didn't tell you sooner_.

Bulma knew.

Bulma _knew_?

Well, if she did know, then that meant she had lied...been lying for close to eight years...Which would certainly be something the President of Capsule Corporation would be uncomfortable about.

And now she was willing to let him know who as well?

Gohan didn't know if he had all the right connections to get into the database required, but he slipped the plastic onto his scanner, looking through his options....

...And low and behold, he did.

He sat back, watching as the computer compared and discarded fingerprints faster than he could punch, running through the files in alphabetical order. He contemplated how he would react when he found out the answer the mystery. Would he be angry? Would he be upset?

He didn't really know, and wouldn't, until he was able to ask this person questions, of their reasons and motives for fucking with his life.

The computer stopped.

He read the name at the top of the profile, stared, and then slowly read it again.

'Son Gohan'

Gohan stood, chair crashing to the floor, as it finally sunk in what Bulma was telling him.

He'd done this...to himself....

And he knew why: there were no doubts, maybes or hesitations now.

He was going back.

"Radditz"

~o0o~

It took two years from that final point of resolve for the time machine to be complete.

Two years Gohan debated with his logic, repeatedly, why he was doing this.

Radditz had _rejected_ him.

It didn't matter.

Radditz was his _uncle_.

It didn't matter.

Radditz would never be able to accept him the way he wanted.

It DIDN'T FUCKING MATTER! His mate was going to die....

...But Raddtiz hadn't been his mate for a long time.

It didn't matter.

He narrowed down the moment between Radditz actually being killed and the planet being destroyed.

Brolli had killed Radditz before fighting Prince Vegeta or Kakarott.

Gohan took that _very_ personally.

In trying to figure out the time before Brolli actually killed Radditz, Gohan found that Brolli had also managed to kill Prince Vegeta.

Kakarott had probably taken that personal. It was anyone's debate as to which of the two had finally destroyed the planet. Gohan thought Kakarott totally capable of doing so, if his return to Earth were any reference.

He hardly slept any more. Nights were extremely lonely now that he'd made the decision to go back. What he and Vegeta had done seemed as empty and meaningless as it really was. On those occasions Gohan did sleep, he would usually wake to his father in the bed with him.

"Gohan," Goku whispered harshly, Gohan mumbled a nonsensical response."Gohan, stop!" Goku squeaked.

Gohan finally woke, felt someone behind him, put one and one together, "Dad," he sighed, "Sorry, roll over," he said. Goku did as he asked hurriedly, and Gohan snuggled in behind him, "You probably shouldn't sleep behind me...."

"A-are you _always_ like that?" Goku squeaked again.

"Pretty much," Gohan felt no need to apologize further, and settled in to go back to sleep.

Then, "Is it always like that?" Goku asked.

"Is _what_ always like that?" Gohan asked.

"Well...we've been doing _this_ for a while...and...and...." Goku couldn't make himself finish his sentence.

"And I've never tried to take advantage?" Gohan mused.

Goku nodded, realized his son might not know he had, "Yeah."

"It's just not the way I work," Gohan replied.

"How...how do you work?" Goku's curiosity got the better of him.

Gohan sighed, pulling back a bit, "Dad...you know I was a pleasure slave on Vegeta-sei, right?"

"Yeah," the tone in Goku's reply indicated he didn't understand what that had to do with anything.

"I got used to a certain role, and enjoyed it very much," Gohan explained, "I've never had the inclination to try the other."

"Is it always like that?" Goku asked, "Having one role?"

Gohan chuckled, "No, actually, I think it may be fairly odd."

"Oh" Goku debated about asking his next question, "Vegeta...."

Gohan hugged his dad closer again, "Vegeta has a different history."

"Is...is he always going to want to play one role," Goku asked: for some reason the idea bugged him...but if anyone would know, it would be Gohan: right?

Gohan knew why his dad was asking, "Are you interested in Vegeta?" he received non-committal whine in response, and decided teasing his father on the topic wasn't nice, "I don't know Dad. You'd have to ask Vegeta."

"He seemed to like to...you know...with you..." Goku actually hand gestured in the dark room, uncomfortable with the discussion, but needing to know.

Gohan shook his head, "Vegeta expected certain things from me, and I from him. He's not going to expect the same things from you," Gohan tried to reassure his father.

"You're sure?" Goku asked, still concerned.

"Dad, you were never a pleasure slave. I have a feeling Vegeta would expect very little in the way of knowledge of these things from you," Gohan stated, rather confident in this.

"Oh"

"Go to sleep, Dad," Gohan insisted, and they both did.

Twin groans as the sun peaked through the curtain, cutting across both pairs of closed eyes the next morning. Duel arms pulled covers over their heads at the same time.

Gohan's tail lashed as someone knocked on the door, "Go away," he growled.

The knock came again, this time more persistent. Goku groaned in protest as the heat of his son left his back, but pulled the sheet back over his head. He heard the door open, and his oldest son's, "What do you want?"

"Sheesh bro, only came to tell ya Bunni had success this morning," Goten pouted.

Goku's nose twitched. What was that smell?  The sheet came down from Goku's head as he sat up, sniffing, "What is that?"

"You're still sleeping together?!" Goten asked incredulously.

"On occasion...Don't give me that look, nothing is happening," Gohan growled.

"Sure, right now..." Goten didn't get much of his statement out before Gohan had him pressed up against the far wall of the hallway.

"Gohan!" Goku threw the covers back the rest of the way, getting up quickly to stop the scuffle he could hear in the hallway before it got out of hand. He had barely pulled Gohan back by his shoulders as Vegeta stepped out of a bedroom.

"Will you three stop clowning around? This house isn't built for that shit," Vegeta ran a hand tiredly down his face, turned back to his bedroom, and slammed the door.

The three Sons smiled apologetically at each other.

It opened again moments later, "What is that?"

"That's what I asked," Goku said.

"It's why I came to wake you. Bunni managed to duplicate that pastry Gohan brought the seeds back for..."

Goku could see the greedy look on Vegeta's face as he walked towards them, "You don't get them all."

"This is my house," Vegeta snorted, walking past the tangle of Sons, thumping Kakarott in the head with his tail on his way by, as he headed towards kitchen.

Goku growled.

"Correction," Bulma's voice came from behind all of them, "This is _my_ house," she yawned, "And the four of you," she shook her fist at them all, unable to articulate her irritation verbally so early in the morning, before turning back into her bedroom.

None of the sayians heard her irreverent, "No wonder Chichi had a heart attack," before she got her bedroom door shut as they tried to get themselves untangled in time to catch up.

Vegeta and Trunks were already seated at the table, a huge platter of the pastries in the center of the table. Tiny plates set out in front of each seat: one pastry on each.

Goku sat quickly, grabbing for two of the pastries, realized he didn't have room for both of them on the plate, set one down on top of the one already on his plate, and was in the process of stuffing the other into his mouth when Vegeta's hand snatched his wrist, and then pinned his hand to the table. Goku glared at him.

Vegeta snarled, "This is going to be the first taste of Vegeta-sei you can remember, Kakarott, take it slow."

Goku looked down at the pastry he'd been about to attempt to swallow whole, thought about Vegeta's remark, and nodded.

Vegeta let go of his wrist, and demonstrated exactly what he meant: pulling one bite sized chunk of the pastry off, and popping it into his mouth, actually chewing, closing his eyes and then humming his approval as the flavor he could barely remember flooded over his taste buds.

Gohan, Trunks and Goten all took their cue from Vegeta's actions, doing the same.

Bulma walked in to the kitchen to the sound of munching, humming, moaning sayians, "Oh, dear Mom," she laughed, "78 years old, and I think you've just found the way to bring the five most powerful beings on this planet to their knees. I hope you can keep up with the demand."

Bunni smiled: she'd been getting quite the kick out of watching and listening to them eat, "Actually, it was fairly simple to program the cook bots to duplicate this. Cooking them isn't going to be the problem. The problem is going to be keeping enough flour on hand to make more."

Five pairs of panicked eyes turned her direction, "This took up the last of the first batch of flour," she smiled apologetically.

Four heads turned back in the direction of the platter, the last pastry now gone, "What?!" Goku demanded.

Vegeta smirked from the hallway, "You want this, Kakarott?" he asked, holding up his prize.

Goku glared.

"Come and get it," Vegeta's statement was made _after_ he was already heading towards the basement labs.

The boys scrambled to get out of their seats.

Goku waited in his for Vegeta's ki to stop moving.

And then IT'd to it.

The door was already shut and locked by the time Gohan, Goten and Trunks made it to where they could feel Vegeta's, and now Goku's kis.

"Vegeta!  That's blackmail!" they all heard Goku's incensed voice through the barrier.

Gohan smiled, and held his brother and Trunks at bay, "There'll be more," he assured them.

"Yeah...but not for a while..." Goten pouted, and Trunks nodded his agreement.

"I think we can all afford to be selfless...just this once," Gohan told them.

"I don't think I can," they all heard Goku's voice raise in volume.

"Come on Kakarott, for this," Vegeta's voice was uncharacteristically cajoling, "I'll take that as a yes."

Trunks' eyes had gone wide, "Um...I don't think I want to be here anyway."

Goten quickly caught on, "Uh...yeah, I'll see you upstairs," he told his brother, following Trunks quickly.

Gohan shook his head at their behavior, but followed them. Not that he wouldn't mind staying, but he thought his father might if he did.

Goku grit his teeth and clinched his eyes shut, "Oh, come on Kakarott, it's not going to be that bad."

"You're not the one with the phobia," Goku snarled back.

"The injury is going to hurt more," Vegeta tried to be reasoning.

"That's not helping, ah!" he felt the needle sink into his flesh, shuddered at the creepy feeling.

Vegeta pressed the stopper down quickly and removed the needle, "See..."

"Vegeta," Goku gasped, "Do something, this hurts!" he squirmed.

Vegeta nodded, but he hadn't had the time to find something to cut into Kakarott's flesh with. Once the idea hit him, he didn't think, he just did.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Goku screeched. Had...had Vegeta just bit him?

Vegeta spat the piece of flesh out of his mouth, realizing now that it was actually done, he was disgusted with himself....

...until a different sort of feeling came over him....

...from the taste of Kakarott, "Oh...gods, Kakarott, get out," that had been utterly stupid. He fell back from the other quickly.

Kakarott squirmed on the table, "I-I can't," he whined, "And you promised."

Vegeta nodded, closing his eyes, biting his tongue, hoping to settle the affects of the other flooding through his system. It worked, a little. He was able open his eyes and watch as Kakarott screeched again, and then the other's tail sprouted.

He purred his approval, holding the pastry out, a little worn from all the action it had seen, to Kakarott.

Who snatched it greedily from his hand.

Vegeta licked bloodied lips in reaction to watching Kakarott eat it with his newly grown tail waving happily behind him.

Goku looked up just as he was about to finish it off, and froze as he noted the look Vegeta was giving him.

He gulped, looking down at what was left in his hand, broke it in half, and held the second part out to Vegeta.

Goku had been expecting Vegeta to grab it with his hand.

He didn't.

Goku watched with wide eyes as Vegeta actually _crawled_ until he reached his hand, and then took the piece he held with his _mouth_.

Which wouldn't have been so odd...except for the sucking, licking, humming and nibbling on his fingers that followed. Goku couldn't decide if Vegeta had enjoyed the pastry, or his fingers more.

Goku looked at the last bit he held in his other hand, blinked, deliberated, and held that out for Vegeta to take as well.

He thought he may have made a mistake as Vegeta snapped at these fingers, thought he may have lost a couple of finger tips, only to have Vegeta stop as his teeth brushed bone, and then suckingly pulled the pastry from his almost numb grip. Goku haltingly purred as Vegeta took his thumb and pointer fingertips back into his mouth to suck soothingly at them.

Squawked as Vegeta reached up and snagged him from the table top, pulling him down onto the floor with him.

Gasped as Vegeta crushed their mouths together, moaned as Vegeta pressed his tongue, and that little bit of pastry into his mouth. Growled as Vegeta's blood eclipsed the taste of the pastry.

Swallowed on accident as Vegeta's tongue tickled the roof of his mouth.

He pulled back slowly, reluctantly, "Sorry," looked back up as Vegeta chuckled.

"It was yours, I gave it to you," Vegeta stated, looking him in the eyes, before his lips were descending again.

Goku lifted his head to meet him halfway. Tongues explored, hunted for secret textures, sought out different flavors.

Goku whined as Vegeta pulled away slowly, the prince biting his lower lip to express reticence of letting go."I-I don't know what I am doing," Goku whimpered.

Vegeta pressed his forehead to Kakarott's, nodding without opening his eyes, willing himself to slow down, "I know," he loosened his grip on the other fractionally.

"That...that doesn't mean I didn't like it," Goku whispered.

Vegeta chuckled and purred, "Okay," he said, pulling his head back.

"You're not angry, are you?" Goku asked. He wasn't certain he wanted Vegeta to stop, if the sayian wouldn't do this again.

Vegeta smiled, "No," he lifted Kakarott up until the other could sit on his own, brushed the other's frowning lip with his thumb, "I can wait...take it slow: for this."

Goku smiled, kissing at Vegeta's thumb, "Thank you."

"Just don't make me wait forever, Kakarott," Vegeta growled.

Goku shook his head, "I-I won't."

Vegeta smirked as he stood, holding his hand out to help the other up, "Is that a promise?"

Goku nodded, "Yes."

~o0o~

"You are good to go!" Bulma's voice came over the headset Gohan was wearing. He flipped a couple of last switches, gave her a victory sign, looked at the date one last time, and hit the ignition button.

They had run a few remote tests, most into the future, where they could control the environment and area the time machine was showing up in. Each one successful, but the machine had shown some wear caused by shaking from the vibrations the crystals emitted when stimulated by the rotation of the magnets. They'd adapted Bardock's energy field to protect the interior of the ship from the actual acoustics. Whoever was making the trip wasn't going to go deaf from doing so.

This was the first test that would carry a passenger: and Gohan knew exactly when, where, he was going.

And so did Bulma.

"Good hunting," Bulma whispered as the machine popped out of existence in her time. She sighed, taking off the headset, and pinching the bridge of her nose. Gohan was supposed to schedule his return for five minutes after he'd originally left. The time in the machine actually continued to run, despite the fact the probes or machine were going to different times. Watches placed in the cockpit during remote test indicated that trips 15 minutes to two days into the future took a full minute to happen, despite the different amount of times they were traveling to. Cameras on board didn't seem to function during the actual a trip, but had no problems performing once settled: Bulma was still uncertain what the cause was, so, when Gohan came back, he'd be able to describe the visual aspects of the trip.

She looked down at the clock on the counsel, and gulped, nervous despite all the precautions they had taken. Five seconds remained until the planned re-entry.

Four: Bulma stopped her foot from tapping.

Three: a big, full breath.

Two: put her hand back down when she noticed she was lifting it to her mouth to chew her nails.

One: what if...

The time machine came back with the familiar pop, muffled screech and crackle, and she sighed in relief, watching as it made a smooth landing directly on the touchdown area. She stood as the hatch was popped open from the inside, and Gohan came tumbling out, falling to his knees and holding his middle as he tried to control the heaving his body wanted him to go through with.

"Uh...rough ride?" Bulma asked, grabbing a bottle of water before heading over to where Gohan was.

Gohan held up a hand as he nodded. Moments later, when he was feeling fractionally better, he beckoned her over, and gratefully took the water bottle from her hand, "I don't know what was different about the machine or method used for Mirai's time machine, but unless we figure it out, I don't suggest we send anyone we care about to travel in that thing," he managed to say, before gulping down another long swallow of water.

Bulma frowned, nodding, thinking: Mirai hadn't shown any of these sorts of after affects the two trips he'd made back to this time line and dimension."Maybe it was the amount of time?" Gohan had traveled back almost a decade.

Gohan nodded, "Could be," he grimaced, "To tell you the truth, I didn't manage to look at my watch when I got there: I was too busy trying not to puke in the cockpit."

Bulma sighed, "Okay. Well, did you get your other objective accomplished?" she asked.

Gohan nodded, not certain that a grin was really appropriate, considering what he'd just done to himself, as he held out the radar schematics he'd removed before smashing the radars, "Yeah."

Bulma took them from his hand, quickly scanning the area for any unwanted onlookers, "Careful with that."

"Oh, sorry," Gohan grimaced. It had slipped his mind only she and he knew what had taken place.

Bulma waded them up, and placed them in a trash bin, pointedly looking at Gohan until he caught them on fire with a quick flash of ki."So...when will you be leaving?" she asked.

Gohan looked up from watching the paper burn, "You knew?"

Bulma shrugged, "I knew you had smashed the radars before you got back. It wasn't until after you got back I figured out why, and that it was a fairly good reason for you to want to go back."

Gohan looked at the machine, estimating how much money and resources the company had put into it, "And you still let me work on this project?"

Bulma smiled and shook her head, "Call me a hopeless romantic...the relationships that have to be fought for the hardest are always the best ones. Besides, I'll still have the probes, and the data."

Gohan chuckled, "Is this permission to steal the time machine?"

Bulma raised one of her eyebrows, "It's not really stealing if I've given you permission, now is it?"

Gohan shook his head, "I don't know what to say...."

"Then say 'Thank you,'" Bulma coached.

"Thank you, Bulma," Gohan grinned.

"Now...back to the 'when are you leaving' part. You aren't expecting me to give everyone your good-byes, are you?" Bulma scowled.

"Actually..." Gohan smiled bashfully.

"I swear!  For being the strongest beings in the universe, you sayians suck when it comes to normal emotional situations," Bulma said in disgust, "You're father will never forgive you."

Gohan shook his head, "Fine...fine... .I'll say something."

Bulma rolled her eyes.

~o0o~

"Hey, Dad," Goku looked over from where he was staring off at Gohan's voice.

"Hey, Gohan," he said, smiling.

"Want to go fishing today?" Gohan asked. He'd thought of a lot of things he could do with his father, and this seemed like one of the most important.

Goku's smile grew, "Sure son," he agreed before getting up, "We going to do it the old fashioned way?  Or the Son way?"

Gohan chuckled, "I think a bit of both," he said. Fishing with his father wouldn't be the same if they weren't actively hunting the fish in their own environment, but he also wanted the quiet time fishing with a pole gave people.

Goku scratched the back of his head, "Well, I don't know if Bulma has any poles...or tackle," he started.

Gohan held out his hand, which had several capsules in it, "Poles, tackle, food, coolers, camping gear...if we stay out that long," Gohan smiled winningly.

"You knew I'd say yes?" Goku asked, not really offended his son might find him that predictable.

"Well, if you hadn't, I'd have dragged you out there anyway," Gohan said with a wink.

Goku snorted, heading for the door, "In that case...I'll race ya."

Gohan shook his head, "You'd beat me, with IT..."

Goku smiled, "It's a real race, I won't cheat," he stuck his tongue out.

"Gods, Dad, you look like Goten when you do that," Gohan commented, wondering if his dad would ever grow up.

Goku smiled, "I'll take that as a compliment!" his voice carrying back from where he'd launched himself into the sky.

Gohan followed.

~o0o~

Gohan flicked switches and turned dials on the control panel. The good-byes had, in some ways, been rather easy.

He guessed he had his father's wonderful disappearing acts to thank for that. Everyone was sort of used to someone they cared for going on journeys they may not return from.

Goten understood completely. He was the only one Gohan had ever been able to tell the full story too, and the younger brother knew more than anyone else where Gohan's heart was, and why.

Goku had been sort of sad, but understood. Said he would miss him, but couldn't keep him there, "It'd be selfish and hypocritical on my part if I tried to stop you," he had said at the end of their long day of fishing.

Pan had been the most difficult. Between not wanting to lose a parent for good, and having to explain why she shouldn't feel guilty, Gohan had to compromise, "Look, I'll have Bulma train you with the time machine technology, and you can check up on me. Besides, it either has to be guarded, or destroyed. Can't leave that sort of technology vulnerable to theft...never know who might get their hands on it, and what they would do with it," he had explained, "Who better than a quarter sayian to take on that job?"

Pan had nodded, "That wasn't exactly the field of science I was hoping to go into though," she had mumbled.

"Who says it has to be your job?" Gohan had asked.

His daughter had smiled then, "True. And who knows how long I am going to live?  I may have several different fields of study under my belt by the time I am old and gray."

Gohan had laughed, and given her a big hug.

He waved at his daughter now, indicating he was ready to go, "I love you, Pan," it still sucked though. He had wished it were only Bulma in the lab, but Pan had insisted.

"You take care of yourself!" Pan spoke more harshly over the headset she was wearing than intended. She didn't want to let her father go...but she wouldn't stop him either, "I love you, Dad. Don't make me find a reason to come through time to save your ass!"

Gohan smiled, "I won't, promise."

~o0o~~o0o~

"Here?" Kakarott asked from behind him.

Prince Vegeta shrugged as he looked around. There didn't seem to be much in the way of significant landmarks, but these were the coordinates given to him by their enemy.

No one was here yet though, "Extremely rude: I hate waiting!"

Kakarott turned to Vegeta and nodded. He was geared up and ready to go, and there was no opponent to take it out on...he turned in disbelief as he felt his brother's ki, "Radditz?" he hissed in concern.

Vegeta turned to look in the same direction as his mate. Even though he could detect nothing visually, he could feel the same thing, "What the fuck is he doing?"

Kakarott turned to face his mate, and shook his head, "I have no idea."

Vegeta snarled, and turned his attention back to the rest of the area. There was still nothing other than the tremendously high ki level he could feel. It was great enough, it became ambiguous: no way to detect if it were still off planet, or if the enemy had managed to land, find somewhere to hide his ship, and then scope them out from a boulder or something. Of course, with that kind of power, why would you hide behind anything? "Let's land; it's too exposed up here."

Kakarott nodded, taking his instructions willingly from the tactician: at least for now.

~o0o~

Toma, Selypa and Bardock all looked up and blinked at each other as a craft they had never seen before appeared out of thin air: _inside_ the protective energy barrier. The moment of uncertainty ended abruptly as they all heard hydraulics decompress, and piece of the ship...or what ever it was, moved from the rest of it. Everyone tensed, going into battle stances, wary.

They didn't attack the poor fool who spilled out of the cockpit, tumbled to the ground, and then started puking his guts out.

Gohan grit his teeth, and gain control over his body. He didn't have time to waste on this. He teeth chattered as he was able to finally open his eyes, his vision slowly returning to normal. He breathed in deeply once, before turning his visage towards the others he could detect in the area, but couldn't make out clearly yet, "Radditz: where is he?" The question held a combination of anger, worry and desperation.

Bardock blinked, and his stance relaxed fractionally. His senses were telling him something impossible, "He's...." and then his eyes widened. His eldest wasn't in the house, as he was supposed to be, "I am uncertain," the scientist admitted.

Gohan snarled, centered his concentration, and searched for the one, the only ki that would have made him make this trip in the first place...he couldn't be too late, he refused to believe that. He stood, "Fuck!" cursing his body as it refused to cooperate enough to fly: buckled down on his weakness and started in the direction he could feel the other at a run.

"That wasn't..." Selypa started as soon as the other had left: running _through_ the energy barrier. The barrier rippled and warped before patching itself up.

"I think it was," Bardock said as he watched the dust cloud from the other's passing.

"You're sure?  He was...older, and way too thin...." Toma scratched his head.

Bardock shook his head, "It was him...just not as we are used to seeing him. His ki was still the same," his attention turned back to the machine the other had arrived in.

"I wonder what it is?" Selypa contemplated.

"I'd guess it was a ship," Toma poked at it.

"But what kind of ship?" Selypa asked again.

Bardock grinned, "Well, I know one way to find out."

The curious, calculating gleam in his eyes was quickly caught by the other two scientists.

~o0o~

"What the fuck are you doing?" Kakarott hissed at his brother as Radditz landed beside them.

Radditz snarled, "What we've been training to do."

Prince Vegeta frowned, "You need to stand down, Commander," he stated, noticing Radditz' eyes were still slightly dilated. Maybe he had hit him too hard and given him a concussion?

Radditz spit at the ground, "Like hell I will."

Kakarott gripped his brother's arm, "Can you _not_ feel what we are going up against?"

Radditz shook his arm loose, "Fuck you, Kakarott," he could feel it: he didn't care to admit how even MORE useless it made him feel.

"Well, well, well, dissention amongst the ranks, I see," Brolli watched as the trio all turned in the direction of his voice. He peered at them from where he levitated, and sneered down at them with some humor, "Someone wishes to die first?  Yes?" his father may have been training him for this moment, but he'd killed the fool long ago: as easily as he was going to kill the fools below him now.

There came a time in his life he realized his father had been controlling him, not for _their_ benefit, but for his father's benefit alone. Brolli had reasoned, if he were going to be used as a weapon, then only _he_ would be the one to reap the rewards: not some hypocritical, power-hungry bastard. It had been the best decision in his life so far. Besides, they couldn't have both sat on the throne.

Vegeta opened his mouth to comment on the other's readiness to die, but it became another command instead, "Radditz!  Get back here!" as the Commander decided to take their enemy up on his most generous offer.

Brolli stared at the sayian before him, assessing him as they both floated with in arms reach of each other, "You're attractive, but weak," Brolli said before waving his hand, not even bothering to add ki to the wind shock that tumbled the other away from him.

Radditz shook his head, trying to reorient himself, found his opponent and went after him again.

Brolli sighed as he blocked one of the weaklings hits, "Look, Gorgeous, don't make me feel the desire to kill you. I came here to take the throne, and destroy one annoying pest," he said, pointing down to Kakarott, "I'd love to have a pretty thing like you at my side..."

"That 'annoying pest', happens to be my brother," Radditz snarled, then yelped as his fist was caught and crushed, not to the point of useless, but with enough force he could hear fractures forming, "And I am already taken."

One of Brolli's brows rose at that statement, and he pulled the other to him, cracking the armor plating around the other's chest and throwing the pieces to the ground, "I don't see any marks," he commented as the weakling struggled in his hold. Anything less than a bond...Brolli was pretty certain he could change this one's mind.

Radditz couldn't breathe in enough air to form a response; the arm constricting around his torso was doing so with enough force he couldn't expand his rib cage. He felt like a rag doll in a careless, overly possessive child's hold.

Brolli shook his head, "A lesson then," he said, adding more force to his hold, hearing ribs crack, watching avidly as the other blinked in shock and pain, before letting his hold go, and letting the other drop to the ground, unconscious.

"One down. Who's next?" Brolli said, turning his attention back to the others who had shown up to greet him.

Vegeta snarled up at the other as Kakarott raced to his brother's side: a senzu syringe in hand. The movement had gained his enemy's attention, and Vegeta shot up from the ground as Brolli leveled a ki glowing hand at his distracted mate.

Brolli blinked as a fist connected with his cheek. The hit was strong enough to have thrown his aim off, and he missed his target. He didn't know if he should be angry or happy to have an opponent that might actually make him work a little bit.

So the look he turned to Vegeta was a mixture of both, which only made him look insane to the prince, "Not going to go down so easily as your friend, I see, your _Highness_ ," Brolli mocked, and then kneed the other in the gut.

Vegeta coughed up blood, but had enough presence of mind to form a ki attack as he doubled over, forcing his hand up and into Brolli's torso, before letting the energy go.

Brolli grunted as a ki blast threw him away from his opponent. He raised his ki, when he realized the attack had actually made him feel a bit of pain. This one wasn't to be taken lightly, after all.

Kakarott pressed two fingers to his brother's neck, feeling a pulse, and then sighing in relief and uncertainty. With his brother down, unconscious, but alive, did he really want to give him a senzu shot?  Right now, he was out of the way. Kakarott's attention was drawn away from his brother as he heard his mate snarl. He dropped the syringe and rose into the air, ready to give aid to his mate in the fight.

Vegeta grunted as his arms were wrenched behind him, the knee in his back holding him steady as he could feel the force increasing...the other meant to make his arms useless. He struggled to pull his arms forward, roaring when one came out of socket, but able to twist his body so the other was still intact.

Brolli let go of the prince, as he was momentarily stunned when doubled fists slammed into the top of his head. He blinked his sight clear, just in time to collide with the ground. He growled as he stood, blinking again, snarled at the second opponent that had attacked when his attention had been trained on the other, and shot up from the ground, using his fist as a ramming rod, right into Kakarott's gut.

Kakarott was forced to a higher altitude, gagging and coughing, trying to gain his breath back. He managed it just as gravity snared him, and was able to correct his flight path. Gritting his teeth and snarling, he watched their enemy slam his fist into Vegeta's face, and headed back into the foray.

Raddtiz groaned as his senses returned, coughing, and then trying to still his body's movements as the jerking caused him intense pain. He tried to sit up; hand coming into contact with the syringe his brother had left behind. He used his teeth to take the protective barrier off of the needle and then sunk it into his thigh before depressing the stopper. He lay back to the ground, panting as the formula took effect.

Once he felt everything had been mended back together, the Commander stood, watching the fight from the ground, looking for an opening...there!  He flew at their attacker when both Kakarott and Vegeta were thrown back from their opponent with twin ki blasts.

Brolli blinked as the good-looking one faced off with him again, "Have to give it to you, you recover fast," he complimented, "But I don't have time for you right now, sweet heart," he said as he noted both of his other opponents had now recovered, and were circling, "Sorry," he said, striking at the other's unprotected torso with a fist.

It never hit. Radditz wasn't certain why it was his head hurt rather than his chest as he was pulled back...wait, pulled?  Not pushed?  He grit his teeth, levering himself up from the ground with one arm. He was really starting to hate the planet's surface. He first trained his vision up, expecting the fight to still be in the air....

...He only saw Vegeta and Kakarott up there, looking at something on the ground, way out of range from where he sat. He found it odd neither of them was going after the bastard. They shouldn't be giving that monster a moment to recover. They should have been hounding him without remorse!  Fools!  He stood, and then went to where they were.

"What are you doing?!  Go after him while he is...oh," and then Radditz understood why they weren't getting involved.

Someone was already going after their enemy without mercy...but...Radditz began to shake as his ki sense told him who...it couldn't be. He wanted it to be, but....

He blanched at the brutality he was witnessing. He...Gohan, the man he knew...that couldn't be him: could it?

The one sided violence was astounding...no, terrifying. The Gohan he knew had always seemed so calm: complacent even. Radditz had a memory flash of the first time he'd witnessed this alien ascend, and the emotions that had accompanied the moment: uncertainty, awe, alarm. Those feelings had returned and were threatening to...what?  Undo him?  Overwhelm him?  Radditz wasn't certain.

An audible boom was heard before the effects of a ki wave reached them. Followed by, "FIGHT ME!"

~o0o~

Gohan shook his head as his vision finally cleared: the dizziness and nausea had persisted, until this moment. It had been pure luck he'd noticed Radditz hair enough to pull him out of the way of fist coming at the commander, and take the blow to the chest himself. Although there had been no ki glow, the strike had been ki enhanced all the same. His ma...Radditz wouldn't have survived.

Everything immediately after had been to keep Brolli away from the others while Gohan tried to get his bearings. He'd taken a few good hits, but they had eventually slowed, and Gohan's thoughts had consumed him.

He hadn't come back to this planet for Radditz to die. That thought had kept him on fire for a quite some time. Flesh impacting flesh had hardly seemed enough retaliation. Especially when the other's hits became feeble, and then non-existant.

"FIGHT ME!"

This would be the fourth time he or his kin had to deal with this monster. The fucker kept coming back!  Gohan was going to make sure it wasn't a possibility this time.

Gohan pulled his hand back for another blow, and finally realized his arm was covered in gore up to his elbow. He turned back to the opponent he straddled. Brolli had lost his ascension, somewhere along the way.

He seemed so...innocent...ki gone, hair back to brunette...eyes closed...blood ebbing slowly from his mouth.

Gohan reached two shaky fingers to his opponent's throat.

He was already dead.

Something in Gohan raged. That hadn't been nearly enough of a fight to make up for the last ten years. He snarled down at the corpse.

Then something in Gohan crumbled.

He'd killed enemies before...but certainly never this one sided.

If he'd had anything left in his stomach from his trip here, it would have been coming back up, he was certain, but there wasn't anything.

Except the tears that came. What had he done? 

The blood covering him suddenly felt as though it were tainting him. He quickly burned it off with a flash of ki: instantly cleansing his skin.

However, the evidence of what he'd done still lay below him, hollow, dead eyes staring to the side, along the plain of the ground.

It creeped him out!  Another flash of ki, and the body was gone also.

But it was still in his head....

...And Gohan could feel the uncertainty rolling off of the others.

He turned enough to see the three approaching cautiously, and he realized...they might actually fear him, "No," he shook his head. He hadn't meant to do this!  Well, he had, and he wouldn't change it. Radditz was alive...and that's really why he had returned, wasn't it?

Wasn't it?

Gohan snarled at himself: he'd fooled himself into believing that. It had never been 'only' about Radditz being alive....

...But if Radditz hadn't been able to accept 'them' when he finally found out that they were related...how would he be able to accept such a monster as he'd just proven himself to be?

The answer, though simple, still hurt.

He wouldn't.

Gohan came to decision then. He stood unsteadily, wanting to beg them to understand as they all halted in their approach at his movement....

...Instead he left for Bardock's. He'd get his ass back in the time machine, and hope to whatever gods were watching over him, if any still were, the ship would hold together long enough he'd make it back to his correct time line in one piece.

~o0o~

"Can't you reach him?" Kakarott asked his brother.

Radditz tried again, ~ _Gohan!_ ~."No...it's like...the bond is not there," Radditz said as they continued to walk towards the downed pair.

They all stilled as they saw a ki flash, and then another, all of them close enough to see after the second one, the body was no longer on the ground, ash particles floating away on the after shock.

 Radditz stepped forward, ~" _Gohan_ "~, he tried to reach the other both verbally and mentally.

He concluded it had been unsuccessful when Gohan leapt into the air, and headed away from them.

"Where is he going?" Vegeta asked, curious and concerned.

"Back to our father's place," Kakarott said quietly.

Radditz snarled and pursued.

~o0o~

Gohan growled once he had made it back to Bardock's holding. He wasn't finding it as easy to enter through the barrier as it had been exiting, "BARDOCK!" he pounded his fists against the energy, shaking his hands from the slight sting he received for his troubles, "BARDOCK!  LET ME IN DAMN YOU!" his panic escalated as he could feel the others that had been witnesses to his gruesome deed catching up to him.

He went to strike again, his hands coming into contact with nothing as the energy disbursed, and he fell forward, barely catching himself before he went down.

They were even closer now!  "CRAP"

"What's the matter boy?" Gohan heard Bardock's voice, but didn't have the time to explain if he were to make his escape.

Gohan hurried to where he remembered having landed the time machine...but it wasn't there. He turned quickly then, having to take the time to address Radditz' father, "Where is it!?"

"The machine you showed up in?" Bardock asked with a frown.

"YES!" Gohan barely stopped himself from screaming: it came out as a loud growl instead.

"Well it's in the warehouse. " Bardock started.

Gohan didn't wait for more words from the other. He hurried into the warehouse.and then came to a complete halt, "No" he whined as he observed what was going on.

Bits and pieces of the machine lay in neat rows on the concrete floor, each outlined in chalk with numbers written in each occupied square of the grid, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!!!!"

Selypa looked up from where she was inventorying the next piece Toma had just laid out on the floor, "Um. " she didn't really know how to answer. Well, she knew the answer, but it was obvious it wasn't going to be acceptable.

"You -" Gohan shook with rage, "You can't just go around tearing people's things apart!" he shouted as he stepped forward.

"We wanted to know what it was," Selypa finally found her voice. "HEY! We are cataloging that!"

Gohan snarled as he started hording as many pieces of the time machine he could hold into his arms, "I need to get it back together now!"

"Why?"

Gohan froze at the question; more pointedly, who had asked it, "I-I thought I could stay.but I know better now. "

"Why can't you stay?" Radditz stepped past the last row of workbenches. He shook his head at the controlled mess on the flooring, but quickly turned his attention back to Gohan.

Gohan's hold on pieces of machinery loosened just a bit, a few parts falling from his arms, "I seem to remember being told to go back to my home planet once these confrontations were finished," he worded his response carefully, still conscious of the others in the room listening to this conversation. He closed his eyes at the memory, "So, I will," he shrugged his shoulders before bending down to pick up the pieces that had dropped. No use in being in a rush now, he was already caught.

Radditz' tail whipped at the same memory, from a different perspective, "I seem to recall it being worded a bit more harshly than that. "

Gohan nodded, "Deservedly so. "

"Can I change my mind?" Radditz asked boldly, "If I did, would it change yours?" he stepped a bit closer when Gohan didn't move.

"Don't...don't tease me, Radditz," Gohan shook his head: ten years and high strung emotions making it difficult for him to tell if what he was hearing was really what he was hearing, or just what he wanted to hear.

~Gohan, I want you. ~ Radditz sent a mental response, hoping that would at least show where he really stood on this issue. He shifted when Gohan didn't respond, "Can you hear me?"

"Sure," Gohan nodded, not understanding the question.

"No," Radditz shook his head, "I meant through the bond. "

That was the last straw. Gohan's knees hit concrete, "I...it's been 10 years, Radditz," he shook his head, "No, I can't hear you. I can't feel anything but your ki."

"A time mach.." Selypa's excited comment was interrupted by Bardock placing a hand over her mouth.

"10...what do you mean? You disappeared this morning!" Radditz interjected.

Gohan let what remained in his arms fall to the floor, and pointed at the machine, "I had to find a way back. It took me 10 years to do so," he said.

"10 years?" Radditz finally looked at Gohan. The kid's hair was short again, but haircuts could happen in less than a day. However, the thin frame indicating a lot of weight lost didn't happen in just hours; at least, not to a sayian. "10 years? The way I rejected you.The bond is gone, and you still came back?"

Gohan blushed, Radditz' wording making it even more obvious how obsessed he had been...still was for that matter, "This is unnatural, Radditz, and we both know it," Gohan shook his head, beginning to gather pieces of the time machine back to him.

Radditz growled, "I don't care," he stepped forward, using his tail to stop Gohan's hand from reaching for another piece of the machine, "It doesn't bother me, any more," he repeated when Gohan didn't immediately give him his full attention, "I had a taste of what it was like when you were gone. I didn't like it. I've changed my mind, and I want you to stay with me. "

Gohan shook his head, beginning to chuckle hysterically, "It won't work. " it was a nice fantasy, but he couldn't imagine a way around it.

"Why?" Radditz asked. Then shook his head, determination flooding his features, "We can make it work. "

Gohan finally gathered enough courage to look up, "We both know why," his eyes widened as Radditz reached down and hauled him up with one hand under an arm pit, turning him physically until he faced the rest of the group in the warehouse.

"Dad," Radditz started.

"Radditz, what are you doing?" Gohan whispered harshly at the commander.

Bardock cleared his throat, "Yes?" he really wasn't certain what was going on, and was slightly uncomfortable with the situation. Still, he hadn't found an opportune moment to leave them to this discussion yet.

"I'd like you to meet Gohan. Your gran..." Radditz began to say before Gohan slapped a hand over his mouth.

"NO! Radditz, we can discuss this, but...but. " Gohan stated while panicking: his eyes having gone wide. Had Radditz really been about to just blurt out what he had thought he was going to? Was the sayian insane?

Radditz reached up and gently took Gohan's wrist into his hand, pulling the other away from his mouth, "Does that mean you are going to stay?"

Gohan nodded, looking down, "Yeah. "

"I need you to be more certain," Radditz said, gripping Gohan's chin between a forefinger and thumb and gently turning the other's face up.

"Can we discuss this somewhere else, please?" Gohan begged in a whisper.

Radditz pulled him close to whisper back, "Are you staying?"

"Yes" Gohan gained immense liberation in affirming his decision.

 

 

~o0o~

 

 

The End

 

 

 **Beta's Notes:** I swear to GOD you cannot end it there. I will reach through this computer and hurt you. Make us an Epilogue, where they're together, we have a nice, steamy little sex scene, Vegeta and Kakarott are together in the Palace with Vegeta on the throne. It doesn't really have to be long. Just. Please don't end it there. You would be stealing Pix's title as the queen of evil cliffhangers.

 

 **Author's second note:** I warned her I would leave that note. :)  
And; Yes Ma'am!

  
  


 


	17. Epilogue

A/N: THANKS FOR STICKING WITH ME HOSHI! *Directs*- Everyone thank Hoshi you got this chapter.

 

##  _Idomu_

### By [Macha ](mailto:bynp@comcast.net)

### Epilogue

 

He couldn't sleep. It had been three nights now, since Gohan had left...and he paced the halls of Bulma's home for another evening.

He stopped at the door to Gohan's old bedroom, tears he didn't want to admit to forming.  Nights were the worst as his eldest really had been the glue that had been holding him together.  Now that was gone.

He rubbed one of his eyes before forcing himself to move on, pausing outside of Bulma's and Vegeta's room, desperation almost forcing him to knock. He clenched his fists at his sides instead, and continued on.

~o0o~

"Vegeta," Vegeta turned his focus towards the sound of his wife's voice, away from the shadow seen moving away from their door along the sliver of light on the floor.

"Vegeta?  I know you're awake," Bulma insisted.

Vegeta set his head back down on the pillow, "Yes."

"Go get him," Bulma whispered.

"What?" his wife's suggestion was more than foreign, and needed explanation.

"I said, go get him.  Don't let him wander alone again, tonight," Bulma rolled over, to face her husband, even if she couldn't make out his features.

Vegeta closed his eyes, nodding, before kissing Bulma briefly.  He rolled, leaning over the bed's edge and felt around for the pair of boxers he had stashed under the bed for emergencies.

Bulma snuggled into the covers as the door to their bedroom opened long enough for Vegeta to exit: hopefully in pursuit of her friend.

~o0o~o0o~

Radditz ran his fingertips over Gohan's sides as they both caught their breath.  He hugged the one laying over the top of him tighter, as his thoughts worried with how close he may have come to never having him back.  "You're certain no one's going to be making silly wishes that take you away again?" he growled.  The commander usually wasn't so frank about what he was thinking, but he was learning to be; this whole mess had started because both of them had refused to say what was on their mind.

Gohan would have shaken his head, but he felt so relaxed at the moment, he didn't want to raise his cheek from Radditz' chest, "No.  I said my good-byes and let them know how much I thought was good for them to know."

Radditz shifted a hand to cup the back of Gohan's head, running fingertips over the short hairs at the back of the kid's neck...Radditz still thought of him as 'kid', even if he was now about the same age as Prince Vegeta.  He played his tongue over the roof of his mouth, trying the massage the ache way.  He growled when he realized what he was doing, "I can't hold off much longer, Gohan."  They had agreed to put off a lot of things; like telling his...their family of Gohan's true origins; that, they both agreed was for the best, at least until after they had bonded.  Apologies to family and friends, if they felt them necessary, could come later.  But putting off the bond itself....

He heard the soft sigh at the same time air ghosted over his cooling skin, and felt the kid try to burrow further against him.  Then, "I-I can't either, but..."

"But?" Radditz encouraged verbally, and squeezed gently with the arm still wrapped around Gohan's torso.

"This is going to sound silly...don't laugh," Gohan said, shifting and then raising his head to look Radditz in the eye.

"Okay..." Radditz quirked one of his eyebrows.

"I don't want to do this somewhere either of us have had sex before," Gohan rushed out, and then laid his head back down quickly, not certain he wanted to see Radditz reaction to what he had just admitted.

At first, Radditz had to agree...it did seem silly, "That's the only thing holding you back?" he asked skeptically.  Gohan just nodded his head against the commander's chest, and Radditz gave the idea some serious thought.  That meant this room was out...the guest room was out...when Radditz thought about it, he could feel why Gohan had made the request.  Too many memories associated with what had happened...

His barracks at the Palace was certainly out.  The G.R....Radditz almost laughed at that thought.

Then he sobered as he got an idea, "I think I know of a place," he mentioned.

Gohan smiled faintly, "You know, I've only been back a week," he brought up this last argument.  Not because he didn't want to bond with Radditz, for good this time, but because he didn't want _anything_ to get in the way.

"You've told me everything you needed to?  Right?  No surprises?" Radditz asked.

Gohan nodded, "Absolutely...not keeping any secrets this time.  That was a big mistake on my part," he lifted his head again, "I am sorry," he whispered.

Radditz pulled his head away from the pillow in order to kiss those slightly frowning lips. He smiled as he let his head drop back to the pillow, "We've done this part already.  Remember?" he asked, tapping Gohan's nose gently with a fingertip, "And if you are really concerned about the time, it's going to take us at least a day to pack, and another week to get to where we are going."

"A week?!" Gohan asked in shock, "Where are we going?"

Radditz smirked, "Somewhere we're going to be 'forced' to keep each other warm."

Gohan rolled his eyes, "Like that's going to be a problem," he said while he once again relaxed against Radditz' chest.

~o0o~~o0o~

Goku was embarrassed by the squawk he let out as someone grabbed his wrist.  He turned quickly enough to note Vegeta's grimace at the sound, "Sorry," he whispered, "You spooked me."

Vegeta shook his head, biting his tongue as he realized he was going to make a sarcastic comment about Kakarott's narration of the obvious, "Come on," he tugged at Kakarott's arm.

"What?" Goku asked, even as he followed.  The insomnia really hadn't been good for him. Made his mind wander more than usual; one of the reasons he hadn't detected Vegeta's ki moving long before Vegeta had grabbed his wrist.  "What?" he asked again as they came to Bulma's and Vegeta's bedroom door, and Vegeta reached for the handle, "But Bulma..."

"Is the one who insisted I get out of bed, chase you down, and bring you back," Vegeta said as he opened the door, and pulled Kakarott in with him.

Goku didn't know what to think about that, "I don't think..."

"We're just sleeping, Kakarott," Vegeta explained.

"Sleeping?" Goku whispered.

"Yes, sleeping, like you haven't done for the last two, almost three nights," Bulma's voice startled Goku.

"Oh" yes, he really did want to sleep.  Goku found it difficult to argue about that.

"Now, get your asses into this bed, and settle down.  Some of us have to work in the morning," Bulma said as she threw back the covers. 

Vegeta almost had a heart attack, until he realized that at some point while he was chasing down Kakarott, his wife had put on some pajamas.  He frowned, not exactly happy that she wasn't sleeping naked, but then...if Kakarott were sleeping with them, for tonight, maybe it was for the best.

"Vegeta?" Goku still hesitated.

Vegeta pulled the other until he could sit on the mattress, then addressed Kakarott, "Take the boots off, and get in here."

"O-okay..." Vegeta heard the thump created by those heavy articles of clothing hitting the floor, and then felt the mattress shift as he and his wife were joined by a third party.

"Go to sleep," Vegeta stated as he spooned up against Bulma.

~o0o~~o0o~

Gohan was thankful he had managed to teach Bardock and crew how to make capsules.  The stuff Radditz had insisted they take along for this trip...the demi-sayian couldn't imagine trying to carry it all without them.

Radditz hadn't been kidding when he said it was going to take them a week to get to where they were going.  Gohan had thought Radditz had some off world destination in mind.  He now had a greater perspective on how _big_ Vegeta-sei actually _was_.

This morning Radditz had insisted they put on some heavy winter jackets he had packed.  "Where is this place?" Gohan had asked in frustration.

Radditz smirked, "Extreme conditions training area," the commander had finally explained.

Gohan had frowned...that didn't seem very conducive to what they were planning to do....

His teeth were chattering by the time they landed on a narrow ledge of a frozen mountaintop, "Y-you kn-now w-what you're d-doing?" he asked as he slipped slightly on the icy ledge.

Radditz nodded, as he shivered, "Come here..." he beckoned with a short movement.  When Gohan had walked over, he urged him into the cave with a gentle shove.  "It'll get warmer the further we go in," Radditz explained as he took the lead.  He used a small ki ball to illuminate their passage, "There is a short span of about 30 paces between the two extremes," he explained over his shoulder.

"Two extremes?" Gohan asked, noting that it was indeed getting warmer, and thankful for it.

Radditz smirked, "Freeze or burn.  This is actually a side vent to a volcano."

"Volcano?  Isn't that a bit dangerous?" Gohan asked.  He gasped as Radditz suddenly turned to him, wrapped his arms around him and kissed him roughly.  He relaxed after the initial shock, purring as his cold fingers started to work their way under Radditz' jacket.

Radditz smirked as he pulled back from the kiss, "With you here to protect me?  This volcano is nothing, and we both know it.  Besides, the moon's influence is currently on the other side of the planet.  It'll be another three years before things really start to get out of hand around here."

Gohan chuckled as he blushed, quieted when he realized Radditz thought he literally _could_ protect them from an explosion of that possible magnitude, gulped and hoped he wouldn't be put to the test.  That was an awful amount of trust the other was putting into him.

"So, the army actually does some training out here?" Gohan asked.

Radditz pulled away as he nodded, unzipped his jacket and pulled a capsule case out.  He looked through the contents, before picking one, turning the button before depressing it, and throwing it onto the stone floor, "Yes.  And before you ask, no one will be showing up while we are here.  The newbies aren't ready for this yet," the mattress that expanded from the capsule took up most of the walkway.

Gohan snickered, "Well, if they had shown up, we could have instructed them in some _other_ extreme training."

Radditz growled as he turned, grabbing Gohan before twisting them both and then pressing Gohan into the mattress, "You are mine," he said with seriousness before pressing his lips to Gohan's again.

Gohan didn't even put up a token fight against Radditz' possessive behavior.  He sucked in a breath as Radditz pulled back to glare at him, "No sharing," he whispered in agreement.  Having to tell Radditz about what Vegeta and he had been doing during the time he was away...Radditz had been extremely jealous, for some not so obvious reasons Gohan would never tell another living soul about.  The commander had demanded he would seek no other now that he was back.  Gohan had promised, but it still seemed to be a concern for Radditz at times.

Radditz' tail lashed once before he forcibly calmed himself.  It took another few moments before he was in a frame of mind he could think clearly, "I think we should probably eat first," he suggested, regret tingeing his voice.

Gohan nodded, smiled slyly, "I certainly don't want to be interrupted once we've started," he agreed.

~o0o~

Kakarott strode behind Prince Vegeta through the halls.  Tension in his mate's shoulders and back indicated how close to exploding in rage Vegeta was.  Kakarott didn't blame him.  After having stepped into Radditz' job as the prince's bodyguard, Kakarott had to sit through those stupid counsel meetings as well. 

Some days it was very tempting to just blast them all to oblivion, and start over.

At least Vegeta would be happier; which would make him happier.

Kakarott sighed in dejection as his shoulders slumped.  He really wished the king, Vegeta's father, hadn't lost his sanity.  He would have loved having at least a few years with his mate before the responsibility of the throne had gone to Vegeta.

Councilman Jerosh was already planning the coronation. 

Vegeta opened the door to their rooms, and Kakarott quickly entered.  Vegeta followed, closed the door, and then stalked over to a cushioned chair, practically throwing himself into it.  Kakarott went to a cupboard and pulled out a bottle of wine and a couple of glasses.  He popped the cork, poured the glasses almost full, and then handed one to Vegeta.

Who drank it all down without pausing for breath.

Kakarott shook his head, took a sip from his glass before setting it down on the table. He smirked as he slid himself onto Vegeta's lap, pulling away the hand the prince was using to pinch the bridge of his nose.  Vegeta sighed, glancing up, and snickered as Kakarott leaned down to kiss him.  The snicker quickly passed as the tension transmuted to passion. 

If there was one talent Vegeta was most thankful his mate had, it was the ability to distract him.  "Next time, let's just do this on the council table.  It will certainly stop those pompous bastards from talking."

Kakarott nodded, chuckled and rubbed his nose against Vegeta's, "I don't know.  Some of them seem to like hearing the sound of their own voice.  They may actually get louder in order to hear themselves over us."

Vegeta grinned, "That may be as annoying as it sounds amusing."

"You want to?" Kakarott quirked an eyebrow.

Vegeta laughed, "You'd seriously do it," he accused.

Kakarott's grin grew sly, "You know it."

"Don't make me be the responsible one here," Vegeta growled, pulling Kakarott's head down for another kiss.

"Hmmmm," Kakarott mumbled, "Certainly not here."

~o0o~~o0o~

'For the night' had become a week.  Bulma smiled briefly as she walked out of the master bathroom to find Vegeta snuggled up against Goku.  She wasn't quite certain that it was normal for her to feel happy about the situation, but whom was she trying to kid?  She'd never been 'normal' by anyone's standards.

Goku stirred as the mattress shifted.  He woke when gentle lips touched his temple, and looked over his shoulder quickly as the mattress shifted again, watching Bulma kiss Vegeta fully on the lips, their kiss growing steadily deeper.

Vegeta had made a faint growl as his wife had leaned over the top of him in order to kiss Kakarott's face.  She had a simple smile on her face as she had pulled away, and bent down to kiss him.  At first, he wasn't going to, but she had gently insisted until he relaxed enough for her to deepen the kiss.  When he finally flicked his tongue against her lips he'd been in for a shock, his body reacting without checking with his brain as he tasted Kakarott on her lips.  His ego insisted he should be pissed, but he shoved it into a dark corner of his mind, agreeing with his body on this one; he wanted more no matter the means of attaining it.

Bulma smiled at the small growl of disappointment Vegeta communicated as she pulled away, and ran her fingers through her husband's hair as she said, "I'll see you guys after work," and then she left quietly.

Goku noted Vegeta's eyes flicker in his direction, and blushed at the smoldering emotions he saw there, thinking the other sayian was pissed or embarrassed about the fact he had continued to watch the two of them kiss.  He sighed and rolled over, hoping Vegeta wouldn't make a big deal out of his indiscretion.

He assumed when he felt the mattress shift again that Vegeta was also getting out of bed.  It wasn't unusual for the other sayian to get up and go train as soon as Bulma had left the bedroom.  So Goku was in for quite a shock himself when he once again felt Vegeta's warmth behind him moments before an arm snake its way over his side, holding him loosely.  Goku felt his features relaxed from their initial reaction as he smiled faintly before closing his eyes to go back to sleep.

He'd almost attained his goal when he felt lips against the back of his neck.  They weren't anything like the soft plump ones that had kissed his temple earlier.  His eyes flew open as he felt what he assumed was a tongue swirl against the back of his neck, gasping as his body froze when he concluded that it could only be one other person. He shuddered as the lips came back to give lasting, slow kisses against his skin.  He felt Vegeta's arm move against his side, and Goku's breath caught as he clinched the sheets in his fists. 

The last straw was feeling teeth scrape lightly over his skin.  This silent, unexpected teasing had to stop!  Now, before it got out of...

Vegeta smirked up at Kakarott.  The sayian had been having a difficult time trying to figure out Kakarott's mixed signals of halting purrs and a locked up body.  It seemed Kakarott had been doing some internal debating, and had come up with this answer: aggression.  Well, that was what it looked like to him, any way, Kakarott staring down at him with a look on his face that asked how the fuck he found himself there, pinning Vegeta's shoulders to the bed...that was amusing.  Vegeta chuckled, "You going to kiss me or just stay up there all morning?"

He watched as the other blinked slowly, his words seeming to take their time registering in Kakarott's brain.  Vegeta ran his hands up Kakarott's tense sides, adding a gentle pull in his direction, urging the other sayian to make up his mind.  He wanted to taste the other again.

Goku realized where he was headed about half way there.  The last half of the way to his destination was done intentionally on his part.  He pressed his lips to Vegeta's as he braced most of his weight with his arms.  The kiss was slow...much slower than their first, so many months before had been, and Goku realized that was because Vegeta was letting him lead this time. Goku knew he still wasn't sure of what he was doing when it came to being with another man...let alone that other man being Vegeta.

He pulled back in surprise as Vegeta started purring, the foreign feeling of the vibrations against his chest had also felt strange against his lips and tongue.

Vegeta's purr stopped as he wondered what was going on in the other sayian's head as he looked down at him like that, "Everything okay with you, Kakarott?"

He wasn't expecting, "Since when do you sleep in?"

Vegeta frowned, "I'm not sleeping."

Goku grimaced as his words were twisted intentionally, "I meant, why aren't you training?"

Vegeta felt his lips twitch mischievously; messing with Kakarott's mind in the morning was ridiculously easy, "Why would I want to go to that lonely training facility when there is a good possibility of plenty of enjoyable exercise here in bed?"

Goku felt his eyes widen at Vegeta's wording.  He didn't have time for a come back as something sparked in Vegeta's eyes, and then his world did a 180, and he found his back pressed into the center of the mattress, Vegeta now over him.

He'd barely gotten his bearings before Vegeta's lips were being pressed against, the kiss being much more deliberate this time...seductive.  Goku felt his eyes close halfway as a purr flowed from him and he relaxed.  He smiled as he felt Vegeta's fingers thread through his hair, nails scratching lightly at his scalp as fingers continuously petted; he liked that.

Vegeta smirked briefly before delving his tongue further into Kakarott's mouth, deepening the kiss, letting a bit more of the intensity he was feeling be communicated through his actions.  He smoothed one of his hands down from Kakarott's hair, across the other's cheek and then over his neck, worming his fingers subtly under Kakarott's shirt, thankful the other had stopped wearing the weighted training shirt to bed a couple of nights before, and pressed the material back a bit before pulling his lips away from the other's, only to kiss slowly down his neck to the exposed bit of shoulder.  Vegeta listened as Kakarott's purr stopped, the other's body once again strung tight.  He continued to assault this area with his mouth until he felt Kakarott slowly become relaxed again.  He sat back slowly, staring down at the other, gauging, "Take your shirt off for me, Kakarott?" at first Vegeta was going to demand it, but twisted it into a request.  The gentler approach had the desired affect as he was forced to move in order for Kakarott to reach the sash that kept his shirt in place. 

Goku struggled to get the material out from under his back, throwing it over the side of the bed once he had managed to do so.  He lay back onto the mattress, insecurity making it difficult to relax.

"Is _this_ okay with you, Kakarott?" Vegeta asked.

Goku could feel a blush creeping over his whole body, and a small whine escaped before he managed, "I-I just..."

"Do you want this to continue?" Vegeta insisted quietly.  The sayian didn't want the other to feel forced into this.  That had never been his intention.  However, he needed to know, before things went further.

Goku looked away, closing his eyes and taking a moment to slow his thoughts.  He took a big breath before once again opening his eyes, and looked at Vegeta, "I'm just nervous, Vegeta," he finally managed, not certain if that summed up everything he was feeling, but it was close enough for now.

Vegeta felt his shoulders relax at the other's admission.  It had taken a long time for the other to come up with that short answer, but he'd take it at face value; after all, Kakarott was nothing, if not direct.  He leaned down slowly, touching his lips to Kakarott's, stopping as the other stiffened, again, and pulling back as the other squirmed and laughed.

Goku stopped laughing, calming his breathing, and panicked at the look of confusion on Vegeta's face, "Your tail was tickling me," he said with a blush.

One of Vegeta's eyebrows rose as he assessed the situation, realizing that his tail, which he had tucked tightly around his waist at the moment, very well could have been brushing up against Kakarott's stomach as he had leaned over.  He smirked, "Ticklish?"

Goku looked up with wide eyes, feeling he may have made a mistake in admitting that, "Don't you dare, Vegeta," he said, his eyes narrowing.

Vegeta's smirk grew as he leaned over once again, pressing his lips tightly to Kakarott's as he felt the other thrash under him, strong hands suddenly clamping onto his hips and pulling him down against Kakarott's body so he couldn't continue with the teasing brushes of fur on skin.  He was fine with this; he liked Kakarott's responses much better when there was something of a challenge to him in what was happening.

Vegeta arched back with a yelp as Kakarott dished out some pay back, the other sayian's tail brushing teasingly over the back of his knee.  He sucked in a quick breath, glaring down at the other daringly as he wedged the leg Kakarott was assaulting between the other's.  Vegeta growled, nipping at the skin within his reach, and smirked as he shifted his head a bit, before licking at one of Kakarott's nipples.  Hands that had been holding his hips still suddenly came up to brace his face, and for a moment he thought Kakarott would push him away.  Instead the pressure encouraged him to continue, and Vegeta did so with a purr.

Goku felt his back arch under what Vegeta was doing now.  There was never a moment to anticipate, Vegeta switching from lips, to tongue, to teeth, even air, then switching to fingers as his mouth moved to other places.  He braced one hand on the small of Vegeta's back as he threaded the fingers of the other loosely into Vegeta's hair, adding enough pressure to assure he was trying to encourage Vegeta to continue, but not enough to force Vegeta's mouth to one place.  No, every time Vegeta did something else and he either twitched or arched, the leg settled between his, rubbed against his astoundingly aching erection, but embarrassment for this was quickly laid to rest when he felt Vegeta's grinding into his hip. 

As much as Goku appreciated the slight friction, it wasn't nearly enough to make him...oh, gods, he had known where this was headed...he just hadn't actually _thought_ about it quite like _that_ before.  Goku realized his thoughts had been consumed by how much he was _really_ enjoying everything Vegeta was showing him, but not necessarily the end result.  Now that his tired, though stimulated, mind had finally caught up with the happenings... 

Vegeta listened to Kakarott as he continued to change tactics with his mouth.  Panting, hitching, purring, growling.  He had a little warning something had changed when Kakarott suddenly became quiet, and then the hand in his hair and the one on his hip were moving him away quickly.  Vegeta's disappointment at having achieved so much only to have backslid was dispelled as Kakarott quickly began removing his pants, and Vegeta smirked, pressing up so he was kneeling, and pulling his boxers down to his knees before rolling quickly to his back so he could remove them the rest of the way.  He finished first, shifting over to his side only to take a moment to stop, and appreciate the sight before him as Kakarott cursed quietly before finally managing to untangle his legs from both his pants and the sheets.

Vegeta reached a tentative finger to Kakarott's side, and traced it down the length of the body that had him, for lack of a better term, mesmerized.  He blinked, slightly astonished as one of Kakarott's hands cinched over his wrist, halting his hand's movement before he was being forcefully yanked to the other's side.  His hand was released and then his head was being directed towards the other's face, lips locking demandingly, before he felt his previously freed hand captured once again, being pulled down.  Vegeta smirked into the kiss as Kakarott directed him to fold his fingers over the other's erection.

Goku tucked his head into the crook of Vegeta's neck as Vegeta's hand slid down his length.  His hips bucked in reaction as he felt himself flush, both in pleasure and embarrassment. 

Vegeta kissed Kakarott's cheek, shifting his head slightly as he continued to stroke the other.  He wanted Kakarott's mouth, not the side of his face.  "Kiss me," he whispered.  He brushed his lips gently to the other's as Kakarott turned his face up to him.  He added a bit more pressure, keeping the movements of his lips unhurried as he continued to slide his hand in a steady rhythm; Kakarott's actions were what differed, not his.

Vegeta opened his mouth when he felt Kakarott's tongue press against his lips, smirking briefly as his tongue dueled with Kakarott's darting and retreating one.  He sucked in a shocked breath through his nose, as Kakarott's hand slid from his chest to grip his cock.  Vegeta purred his approval, not having expected Kakarott to become so suddenly bold, but welcoming it with a shift of his hips so he could move less awkwardly into the stimulating hand.

Moments later, Kakarott broke away from the kiss, pressing his head back into the pillows.  Vegeta watched silently as the other looked down at what his hand was holding, a soft blush coming to his features as those unbelieving black eyes moved back and then locked with his.  Vegeta smiled gently, pulling a bit stronger than he had been, his actions being rewarded with acquiescent cries; moments later, Kakarott's eyes closed.

Goku tried to keep his hand moving, but his focus was collapsing quickly; diverting everything to one place.  His own calls seemed far off to his ears as he felt Vegeta's hand picked up its pace.  He didn't even realize most of the effort was coming from him.

Vegeta growled and tucked Kakarott's head tighter to his chest as he could detect desperation tinged with a bit of panic in Kakarott's calls.  He looped his tail around his erection as Kakarott's hand left to clutch at the mattress as the other's back arch and hips twisted, seeking release by his hand.  He felt the muscle under his hand harden even further as Kakarott's body finally froze, and quickly pressed his lips to Kakarott's, swallowing the near scream that came a fraction of a moment later, accompanied by the feeling of jerky spasms beneath his palm.

Vegeta continued to kiss until he felt Kakarott relax, and then settle, listening to the quiet panting as the other tried to catch his breath.  His own breath caught as Kakarott's hand came back up to occupy its previous position, wrapping gently over both is tail and erection.  He grimaced slightly as Kakarott squeezed a little, unwinding his tail and laying back as Kakarott's hand backed off enough for him to do so.  Vegeta lay back onto the mattress, Kakarott shifting to his side in order to follow.

Goku wasn't certain...of anything he was doing.  He felt a little bad about having squeezed Vegeta's tail too tightly, but it obviously hadn't been too bad, because he wasn't running for his life.  He shifted as Vegeta did, continuing to stroke, not certain what else, if anything, Vegeta expected him to do.  He shifted his legs apart as one of Vegeta's nudged up against them, and then brought them back down, pinning Vegeta's between his own.  He continued to stroke, even if he didn't understand the position, hoping, if Vegeta wanted him to do something else, the sayian would tell him.  Other wise, he had NO clue....

Goku felt the fur of Vegeta's tail rub against the back of his hand, and watched what he could see of the furry appendage as Vegeta did _something_ he couldn't see, but obviously, what ever it was, excited the other sayian _very_ much.  Moments later, Vegeta was the one with a bowed back, breath catching in a silent cry as he climaxed.  Goku gently smoothed his hand away as Vegeta slowly became aware of his surroundings once more.

There was a bit of an awkward silence, and then Goku opened his mouth without putting much thought into his words, "You're different, here, in this room..."

Vegeta blinked in shock, not really understanding why the other had chose to point that out _now_ , of all times.  Then he laughed, thinking he might understand what Kakarott was trying to convey, "You really don't think the woman would have kept me around this long if I were an asshole in the bedroom, do you?"

Goku shook his head with a small smile, "No, I guess Bulma..."

Vegeta grew alarmed as Kakarott's face once again showed signs of the other sayian beginning to panic, "What's wrong...."

"Oh, my god, what is Bulma going to think...do?!" Goku said in a tense whisper.  Vegeta began to chuckle, then laughed, clutching his sides, "Vegeta, this isn't funny!  I don't want to hurt her..."

Vegeta shook his head, trying to sober up, "Relax, Kakarott.  Bulma is okay with this..."

"How can you be so certain?" Goku asked, hoping it was true.

Vegeta looked Kakarott in the eye, "If she weren't okay with it, she would have found a way to hook a hose up to the cold water in the bathroom, and sprayed me down earlier, instead of kissing _you_ while I was cuddled up against you this morning."

Goku relaxed slightly, "You two are too subtle for me...as long as you don't think she's going to be mad..."

Vegeta smirked, "The only thing the woman is going to be angry about, is that I didn't record..."

"Record?" Goku squeaked.

"...with a video camera...."

"Camera?!" Goku squeaked again, "Vegeta...I'm...I'm..."

Vegeta shrugged, "No rush..."

"VEGETA!"

Vegeta smirked; yes, ridiculously easy to mess with Kakarott's mind in the morning.

~o0o~~o0o~

Prince Vegeta groaned in complaint as Kakarott's hands stopped massaging his tense shoulders, "Don't stop...."

Kakarott smirked, "I don't plan to...well, not for long, but, I think you'll enjoy this better, laying down, instead of sitting in the chair."

One side of Vegeta's mouth twitched up, in agreement, "Mmm," he gladly took the hand Kakarott offered him to pull him out of the chair, using the momentum to turn him towards the bedroom, "In a hurry?" he asked over his shoulder.

He came to a sudden halt as Kakarott's hands and arms snaked around his middle, "Only to get to the bed...nothing to rush after that," his mate's voice seductively purred into his ear before he felt the hem of his shirt being pulled up, and he moved his arms in order to accommodate the material being pulled off of his body.  Then he stumbled as he was playfully pushed from behind.

"Watch it," he mock growled as his tail lashed, the tip of it barely coming into contact with Kakarott's thigh, before he strode to the bedroom entrance, shoving the double doors open dramatically.  "Well?" the prince asked impatiently.

Kakarott smirked, "I was busy 'watching it'," he responded deviously.

Prince Vegeta rolled his eyes, "Pervert," he said as he strolled the rest of the way into the bedroom.

Kakarott shook his head in amusement as he followed.  "Take your pants off...I want to give you a _full_ body massage," he purred as he stalked over to the cupboard they kept the massage oils.

Vegeta had his pants down to his knees when the click of the cupboard door opening registered, he started to turn, even though he knew it was too late...."What do we have here?" Kakarott asked him.  Vegeta could feel the blush creeping over his face, and didn't know what the hell was wrong with him; he'd put those in there _for_ Kakarott to find, but....

Kakarott reached to the shelf, pulling out an item he certainly wasn't expecting to see when he had opened the door, "Toys, _Ouji-sama_?" he asked archly, as he pulled out the dildo, turning to present the item in question to his mate.  He smirked at the blush that had crept over his prince's features, "Vegeta..." Kakarott purred, "It's been a long time since I've seen _you_ blush," Kakarott knew then that the toys weren't necessarily meant for him.  Vegeta had never had issues with using such things on him.

Vegeta swallowed hard, "I..."

"At a loss for words?" Kakarott asked, reaching back into the cupboard, "We could use this, to give you a convenient excuse," he suggested, holding up a gag.

Vegeta swallowed again, the flush to his skin having actually made him break out in a light sweat. 

Kakarott's head shifted to the side as he noted the nervous swing of his prince's tail, and the fact he wasn't looking him directly in the eye.  He took some pity on his mate, setting the gag down on the small dresser below the cupboard, "On second thought, I want to know exactly what you are feeling when I use this," he said, waving the dildo slightly as he reached back into the cupboard for a bottle of massage oil, "Finish taking your pants off, Ouji..." he purred as he closed the cupboard.

"Kakarott..." Vegeta began as he reached down to finish removing his garments.

"Sssssh," Kakarott whispered in his mate's ear after he was standing again, "I'm not interested in hurting you," he would stop playing this game if his mate gave him any indication he was more than just 'uncomfortable'.

Vegeta nodded; he knew that.  He trusted his mate...still...his back arched as he felt something hard poke him between his shoulder blades.

"Lean over the mattress, please," Kakarott requested, using the dildo to direct Vegeta where he wanted him.  He smirked at the sight of his mate placing his upper body weight onto the mattress, "Good," he purred.  He flipped the cap of the oil bottle open, tipping it and watching as Vegeta twitched a bit at having the cool liquid spill over him as he drizzled a line of the fragrant oil from between the prince's shoulder blades all the way down his spine, moving around the base of Vegeta's tail, making sure plenty covered his mate's entrance.  Once that was done, he recapped the bottle, and tossed it onto the mattress.  "Have you used this before?" Kakarott asked he ran the solid object down the line of oil he had poured.

"Yes," Vegeta admitted quietly, his breath catching when he felt it pressed firmly against his opening.

"Hmmmm," Kakarott mused as he teased Vegeta's entrance with the object.  He resisted the urge to just press it in all the way at once; as in control as he felt right now, he knew his mate well enough to know that this was _only_ to be perceived this way.  If he blew the trust Vegeta was showing in him right now?  Kakarott shook his head; better to take it slow.  He added just enough pressure to his hold for the tip of the dildo to press into his mate.

Vegeta gasped and shuddered, "Cold," he hissed.

"Better for it to be a bit uncomfortable," Kakarott insisted, "I'd become very jealous if I thought this object was replacing some of my opportunities."

Vegeta shook his head against the mattress, "No...not any more," he admitted.

Kakarott pressed it in a bit further, "That's nice to hear," he purred as he twisted it a bit, and pressed it in more.  He felt excitement settle in his stomach at his mate's groan, as he worked the length of the object slowly.  He replaced his hand with his tail as he removed his shirt, feeling the vibrations in his tail as his mate twitched.  He twisted it a bit, purring as Vegeta moaned, "Hold it there for me, please," he asked.  Kakarott bit his lip as Vegeta's tail twined with his, growling slightly at the feel of his mate's tail rubbing against his during the switch off.  He quickly removed his pants once his appendage was free.  "Okay," he said, pressing his fingers against the object to keep it in place as Vegeta removed his tail, "Now," he said, settling one knee on the mattress next to his mate's hip, "Shift up onto the mattress."

Vegeta pressed up with a moan, panting slightly as he moved as instructed, the dildo held gently to him the whole time he moved.  When he finally settled back to his stomach on the mattress, Kakarott nudged his legs apart slightly, and then he felt his mate slide a leg between his, and using it to keep the object in place.

Kakarott leaned over Vegeta's body adding slight pressure with his thigh as he reached up to start spreading the oil he had poured earlier over his mate's back.  He used wide sweeps of his arms, smirking when his weight changed, knowing it would cause the dildo to shift. 

The play of the toy in his ass contrasted drastically to the feel of tense knots being rubbed out of the muscles in his back.  Vegeta closed his eyes, trying to take in all of the sensations going on.  He hummed in approval as Kakarott's thumbs dug into a particularly tense knot, groaned when his mate's weight cause the dildo to press in deeper.

Kakarott kept massaging until he felt Vegeta finally move his hips back, unconsciously indicating what he wanted more.  He slid his hands down the slicked skin of his mate's sides, pulling up a bit on Vegeta's hips, "Lift up a bit," he whispered, wriggling his hands between his mate and the mattress, until he could get a good hold of Vegeta's erection.  He purred as he manipulated his ki slightly, stroked down once, and then left a ring of his energy around his mate's cock. 

Vegeta's eyes widened in shock at Kakarott's bold actions, "Don't..." _~I don't know that I am ready to give up that sort of control...~_

Kakarott pressed himself fully against Vegeta's back, wedging his leg a little tighter, and kissing down Vegeta's spine at the same time he reached across the mattress for the oil bottle, "Sssssh, it's okay," _~You're not giving up any control, ~_   "This is easy.  You know what you have to do in order for that to disappear, Ouji-sama?" Kakarott asked seductively, as he flicked the cap open once again, pouring some oil into his palm, and then slicking his hand over Vegeta's cock.  When Vegeta shook his head, Kakarott smirked, "You have to make me lose my focus on keeping it there," he said, with another nudge of his leg as he stroked his hand over his mate's erection, as he closed the cap to the bottle and tossed it over the side of the bed.

Vegeta's arms almost buckled as he moaned.

Kakarott pulled his body away from Vegeta's, looping his tail around the handle of the dildo, and then, manipulated his way beneath Vegeta's body until the prince was over him, settled between his legs, their erections brushing together teasingly.  Kakarott bit his lip as he looked down, and then reached out behind him, grabbing for a pillow to shove under his head, and then spread his legs further while tilting his hips up, "Think you can make me lose my focus, Ouji?" Kakarott challenged.

Vegeta growled as he pressed into his mate.  They both shuddered, panting when he was fully seated, and Vegeta was actually thankful for the energy ring keeping him bottled up; he probably would have lost it right then other wise.

Kakarott shifted a bit, and then used his tail to pull the dildo out before pushing it back in slowly, groaning as Vegeta rotated his hips in reaction.  Both of their attentions' trained on where Vegeta slid in and out of Kakarott, the motions slow as they built a rhythm that worked for both of them, and then Vegeta began to really move.

Kakarott bit his bottom lip as he pressed his head back into the pillow, calling out in ecstasy as Vegeta pounded into him.  Vegeta felt the pressure of the ring slip a bit, and smirked, "Already, Kakarott?  And here I thought this was some sort of challenge," he pressed in hard, and rotated his hips, growling possessively as his mate called out again, but gasped in shock as Kakarott pulled his tail back, and then howled in pleasure as Kakarott snapped it forward. 

Kakarott grit his teeth, "I'm not done yet," he hissed.

Vegeta stilled, growling and chuckling at the same time, "Demanding, aren't we?" he whispered into Kakarott's ear before lifting back up, and slamming into Kakarott, enjoying howl that echoed from his mate against their bedroom walls.  Vegeta grit his teeth, and buckled down on his focus, driving into his mate, hitting Kakarott's sweet spot every time. 

Kakarott gave up on his focus moments before he climaxed.  He hugged his mate to him tightly as Vegeta struck once more, and shuddered as he felt his mate release inside him.  They both panted as the reward for their exertions slowly stole over them.  Vegeta finally collapsed fully onto Kakarott's body.  Kakarott's tail unwound from its hold, and he felt Vegeta shudder as the foreign object slipped from his body.

"Never be ashamed to tell me what you want, Vegeta," Kakarott whispered as he kissed his mate's forehead, "Although, I don't mind little surprises every now and again, my prince," he mentioned as he ran his fingers through Vegeta's hair.

Prince Vegeta nodded, purring contentedly.

~o0o~

The cave became comfortable once Radditz had put up a temporary cloth barrier, and added a welcoming fire.  Gohan had been concerned about the smoke, but watched in fascination as what few air currents the barrier let in made the smoke flow further into the tunnel.  "The temperature differences make sure there is a constant flow of air," Radditz had explained, "Which is why I brought the barrier along.  Not going to be enough to stop all of the cold currents," he paused in his explanation, shifting closer to where Gohan was sitting, "But a few currents will be welcome soon enough."

Gohan smiled as he finished off the noodles left in his bowl.  He placed the dirtied dish off to the side of the fire before he washed his face off with a clean, wet towel.  He froze as Radditz stalked up behind him, growling possessively in his ear.  Gohan purred in response, turning as he was directed by the hands on his hips.  He tilted his head back, stretching his arms up and placing his hands on the back of Radditz' neck as the commander bent his head down to kiss him.

Gohan mentally set all other thoughts aside.  The past may have been what had brought them together, the future may be what they had to look forward to, but this moment needed to be lived for itself.

Soft hungry purrs wove into the kiss as their tongues danced slowly.  Hands brushed, skirted and smoothed over clothing; picked at buttons, buckles and zippers until those last remnants of hindrance came undone and were removed.

Radditz gazed over Gohan, still unable to believe _this_ sayian was going to be his, but willing to risk the mirage, hoping the oasis promised was real.

Distance was dispelled to miniscule as space became unnecessary and meaningless as Radditz molded Gohan to him tightly, before letting him go, only to guide the kid by the hand away from crackling coals.

Gohan followed not because his commander led, but because it was his destination as well.  _This_ was what he wanted; this sayian.  Radditz.

Even the laws of Time had proven futile against this want.

Breath ghosted over skin as lips lit nerves on fire.  The mattress gave way to their intrusion; accommodating their moves with inconspicuous counter offers.  All the while anointed and ki graced fingertips petitioned for sanctuary, and were repeatedly granted access.

Radditz lay down as Gohan pressed him back while they continued to kiss.  Excitement and desire were his weaknesses; he would do _anything_ the other wanted of him.

Their eyes locked as Gohan straddled over Radditz.  Their desperation built on mutual understanding.  Gohan gasped unashamed as Radditz filled him; completed him.  Radditz shuddered as Gohan sheltered him. 

Their tails wove together: trembling and tightening.  Radditz smoothed his hands over Gohan's flexing thighs, gazing at the other in silhouette and haloed by the red glow of the fire. 

"Radditz!" Gohan's call set Radditz' heart racing.  He laced fingers of one hand to the one reaching out for him as he placed the other to the small of Gohan's back as he sat up.

Bleeding marks bared their souls.

The grateful cry of one answered by the protective growl of the other.

Fate's challenged issued, answered and overcome.

Idomu

~o0o~

  
  


 


End file.
